Wolf's Den - Sunny Side Up
by Stormswift
Summary: One year after a traumatizing captivity, Seth is still a broken man. Can his imprint heal his soul and bring back his old cheery self or will he reject her, thinking that he could never make her happy and that she's better off without him and his supernatural world? Sequel to Roasted Squirrels, but can be read without. Rated M mainly for Seth's nightmares. NOW COMPLETE!
1. Introduction

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own anything recognizable from Stephenie Meyer's Twilight universe. But I do own my OCs and the plot._

_This is the sequel to _Wolf's Den – Roasted Squirrels_. If you've read it, skip this first chapter and just start reading _Sunny Side Up_. If you haven't, you have two choices now:_

_1. Read _Roasted Squirrel_s to know exactly what Seth went through and come back here afterwards._

_2. Read the following introduction to the Wolf's Den universe and a summary of what happened to Seth._

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**Wolf's Den universe**

It's been fifteen years since Bella married Edward. One and a half years after the encounter with the Volturi, the Cullens left Forks and Jake went with them. The two packs were reunited under Sam, but he soon decided to stop phasing in order to grow old with Emily. They have a son, Adrian (11), a daughter, Emma (8), and a few months ago they adopted Autumn (16), Embry's imprint. Jared stopped phasing when Sam did. Kim is now a doctor at Forks hospital. They have two sons, Tate (7) and Ray (5).

Paul and Leah stopped phasing two years later, because they had more trouble to get the phasing that much under control. Paul and Rachel moved to Seattle. Leah didn't stop phasing because of an imprint, but because she simply didn't want to be a wolf anymore. Her menstruation came back, she fell in love with a Makah fishermen, married and had three children with him: twin girls June and Janelle (9) and a boy, Jayden (2). This seemingly happy ending brought back the friendly Leah who still had a temper but wasn't bitter and not as bitchy as before anymore. However, her husband became a drunkard and Leah got angrier with him every day until one year ago she found out that he'd been cheating on her. She snapped and phased right in front of him. She threatened him not to spill the secret, divorced and rejoined the pack. When the Cullens left, they presented Seth and Leah with a restaurant in La Push, the _Wolf's Den_. It has become the pack's meeting point and a place of employment for some imprints.

When Sam retired, no wolf was left who had the Alpha in his blood like Jake or in his build and personality like Sam. Jake became the Alpha again, but you can't really lead a pack from the distance. Embry was elected to be Jake's deputy Alpha, at first only responsible for decisions that needed to be made instantly. Today he's more or less leading the pack alone, with Jake only taking over when he's visiting La Push for a few days. One year ago he imprinted on Autumn. Her mother had died and her father abused her, resulting in her not speaking a single word to anyone anymore. Embry rescued her from her father, gained her trust and made her talk again.

Quil stopped phasing two years ago and is dating Claire.

Collin imprinted on Janelle. At first Leah had been furious that he dared to imprint on her daughter, but she accepted it a long time ago and now that she's a single mother she is actually glad to have his help.

Brady imprinted, too, but two years ago his imprint was killed by a vampire. Of course he was devastated. He's been living in the wilderness of Canada since then, staying in his wolf form. He just came back once last year to help defeat a large coven.

The seven wolves that joined the pack shortly before the encounter with the Volturi are Lennie, Cory, Aaron, Chad, Zack, Sky and Simon. Lennie imprinted on Ava (18), a girl from Forks, and stopped phasing to age with her. Cory imprinted on Olivia (16), a Quileute girl, and has also stopped phasing. Aaron and Sky are brothers. While Aaron is a quite high-ranked wolf, Sky is lowest ranked of all. Chad is a police officer at Forks police station. Zack is Paul's cousin and has the same Lahote hot temper. He has caused Embry a lot of trouble in the past because he likes to disobey, ditch patrols and argue over orders. Simon imprinted on Ruby (12).

Last year, when the large coven was close, Zack's much younger brother Dave (17) phased for the first time. Despite his rebellious personality nature assigned him to be a low-ranked wolf. He imprinted on Willow (14).

When Sue married Charlie and Leah moved into a flat above the restaurant, Embry and Quil moved in with Seth.

One year ago, a large coven settled in Seattle and Port Angeles and soon had its first encounter with the shape-shifters, who killed some of them. Embry called the Cullens for help, but apart from Jake, Nessie, Rosalie and Emmett they were all in Italy and not able to come soon. Jake, Nessie, Emmett and Rose immediately headed for La Push. They dropped off Rose in Seattle to search for Paul who had gone missing.

The enemy coven was planning to dispossess the Volturi of the power over the American vampires and they wanted the wolves to side with them and work for them as guard dogs. Of course they refused, but at that time they didn't know about the vampires' ominous talents yet. One was able to knock them all out. When they awoke, Seth, Dave and the vampires were gone.

The vampires wanted to force Seth, Dave and Paul, who they had stumbled upon in Seattle, into serving them as guard dogs. However, Paul wasn't even able to phase anymore and even their torture couldn't make him angry enough to resume his wolf self. In the end, a vampire tried his venom on him to see what it did to shape-shifters. A healthy shape-shifter's body would have easily fought it off, but torture and starvation had weakened Paul. The venom killed him slowly and painfully. Rachel was devastated and moved to Hawaii, close to her sister's, with her two children, pregnant with a third.

Dave, young, inexperienced and scared out of his mind, gave in to the vampires immediately. He wasn't able to control the phasing yet and when he phased involuntarily, they punished him with torture.

Seth didn't give in at first. He tried to protect both Dave and Paul. One of the leeches, Cora, was able to project feelings and she especially liked to project pain. But she also tortured him with electric shocks and a red-hot poker. Or she tortured Dave to affect his protective side. Eventually he gave in, but she kept torturing him every hour to remind him to stay submissive. When she went even further with her torture and raped him, she shattered the last remainders of pride and dignity that were left inside of Seth.

On the third day of their captivity, Bella and Edward finally arrived in Seattle. The others hadn't been able to free their brothers any earlier because they depended on Bella's shield to defeat this large and powerful coven. Jane, Alec, Felix and Demetri came with them to punish the coven that questioned the Volturi's power. They granted two vampires pardon, because they wanted their talents for the Volturi guard. One of them was able to erase the memory of his opponent. He made Dave forget the captivity and he tried the same with Seth. However, for the first time ever his talent failed. The damage on Seth's soul went too deep.


	2. Chapter 1

_There are a lot of stories out__ here that you can generally summarize like this: A girl, traumatized by abuse or rape, gets imprinted on by a wolf. He comforts her and helps her overcome her issues (after overcoming some obstacles first of course). They live happily ever after._**  
**

_Now I was wondering if that would work the other way round, too. Take a traumatized wolf, let him imprint on a random girl... and then? Will there be a happily ever after, too? Read to find out!  
_

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**They used to call me ****_La Push's very own sun_**

I sat at one of our tables in the _Wolf's Den_, one elbow on the tabletop and the chin in my hand. Leah was polishing glasses at the bar. We were waiting for the first guests of the evening to arrive. I stared out of the window to the pouring rain. The climate of La Push matched my own climate so well. The only difference was: La Push had a few rare sunny days each year, but my mind was always overcast. The girls used to call me _La Push's very own sun_, but that sun was covered by a permanent total solar eclipse nowadays.

I felt Leah's gaze on my back. I knew what I would see in her eyes if I turned to look at her: pity, compassion, hopelessness and grief. Grief for the loss of the _old_ Seth, the _real _Seth. The happy-go-lucky Seth who always cheered the others up and was rarely seen without a smile on his lips. The _new_ Seth never smiled sincerely and cheering wasn't even in his vocabulary. Today was the anniversary of Old Seth's death. Today was the anniversary of the most horrible 60 hours in my life. 60 hours of anguish, agony and abasement.

I can't believe it's been a year already. Time tends to blur nowadays. Yesterday evening when I was writing the date into the ledger it hit me like a lightning. I was petrified. I can't explain why, I mean, it's been a year, she's dead and there's nothing left to be afraid of. But I was nonetheless. Leah called Embry to cancel my shift and stayed with me all night, waking me from my nightmares and assuring me patiently over and over again that I was safe.

They had wanted me to call on a psychologist, but, seriously, what would I've told him? That I'd been kidnapped, humiliated, starved, tortured and raped by vampires? He would institutionalize me for believing that vampires existed. Anyway, I didn't need a stranger to tell someone my feelings about this whole shit. I had Autumn for that. She was a good listener and she understood. When she had started talking to me, she had told me about her traumatizing experiences, too. How her father had beaten her, had treated her like a servant and had nearly raped her. I knew there was something else that she didn't tell me, but I didn't blame her. I couldn't tell her about the rapes either. Though it felt relieving to talk about it and to have someone who was able to understand exactly what I went and still am going through, I hadn't made any improvements in a while.

After a week of isolation my friends had made me socialize again, though I wasn't that talkative actually. Then I had gone back to work, at first only caring for the management of the Den and later occupying the bar sometimes when we've had staff shortage, like today. I hated that, to be honest. I couldn't put on my usual abject face if I didn't want to ruin our reputation. I had to fake smile and pretend that I wasn't a broken man. But, well, life had to go on somehow.

I had considered retiring from being a wolf, but then again killing vampires might be the only way to regain my self-esteem and pride. They're making themselves scarce though. I've killed three vampires this year and every time it was satisfying and soothed my nightmares, but the effect never lasted long. I had lost my position as beta to Aaron and was now one of the lowest ranked wolves. Not that I cared – I wasn't in the constitution to lead others anyway. Usually I patrolled with Embry, which I was grateful for because then I didn't have to concentrate so hard on shielding my thoughts. I didn't really talk to him about what had happened, I just shared my thoughts sometimes. I felt guilty that I couldn't talk to him like I talked to Autumn. He had suffered some of the pain with me, after all, and besides Jacob he was the only one who knew about the rapes. I wake him every night with my nightmares. He wakes me up when I scream in my sleep and he calms me down by reassuring me that I'm safe and that sadistic Cora is dead. Quil rarely spends the night anymore at our house, understandably. I don't blame him.

"Seth! Seth, do you hear me?"

I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

"What?"

"Are you sure you want to work today? I could call Autumn, you know", Leah asked softly.

"No, I'm fine. Distraction will do me good", I mumbled and hoped she wouldn't insist on me skipping work. I was sick of people telling me what to do to feel better. Leah sighed.

"Okay, then. Look, the first guests are coming. Claire!"

Claire had played with my two-year-old nephew Jayden in the back room which was also the pack's meeting and dining room. While Leah disappeared into the kitchen and I went behind the bar, Claire came to welcome and seat the guests. She took their drink orders and came over to me.

"One ginger ale, two beers and a coke."

I nodded and got to work. Preparing the drinks was quickly done and I continued Leah's work of polishing glasses. Claire delivered the drinks and then hurried to the back room because Jay had started crying.

"Excuse me, Mister!" one of the guests waved his hand. I inwardly groaned. More than fake smiling behind the bar I hated to actually having to interact with the guests. I checked that the corners of my mouth were pointing upwards and went over to them.

"Good evening. What can I do for you?"

"It says in the prologue of the menu that the restaurant's name is derived from a legend that claims the Quileute to descend from wolves. We were wondering if, since we're the only guests at the moment, you could tell us this legend", the man who had waved me over explained. I really wasn't in the mood of storytelling.

"Um, well, I'm not that good a storyteller, actually. But I'll ask Claire if she could tell you."

"That would be great! Thank you!"

I nodded at him and went to the back room. Claire was just finishing changing Jay's diapers.

"Hey, Claire. The guests want to hear the legend about the wolves. Mind telling them?"

"No, sure! I'll just wash my hands."

"Alright. Thanks."

That moment Janelle and June, my twin nieces, came rushing down from the flat above the Den and Claire exclaimed, "Well, finally! You _know_ we can't look after Jay when there are guests!"

Janelle looked guilty, but June just rolled her eyes. They took their brother and went back upstairs to put him to bed and hopefully getting him to sleep quickly.

Slowly other guests arrived and about one and a half hours later every table was occupied and Claire hurried around to comply with everyone's wishes.

A short girl of about sixteen with dyed blonde hair passed the bar on the way to the restrooms. I caught her smiling at me from the corner of my eye and mechanically smiled back, locking eyes with her for just a second. In that second, I momentarily forgot about my misery. I got a warm feeling in my chest and my thoughts centered on the girl with the beautiful fawn brown eyes. Her smooth pace faltered a little as if she had noticed something too, though I was sure I hadn't given away anything.

Then suddenly reality came crashing back down on me. I had just imprinted. How was I, a broken man, an emotional wreck, supposed to make her happy? I didn't deserve her. She would be better off without me. Yeah, that would be my way to make her happy: staying away from her. Though imprinting meant that we were the perfect match. We were meant for each other. But that certainly concerned the old Seth. He was meant for her, he could have made her happier than any other man. That thought made me angry. I was angry with myself, because it was my fault that old Seth was gone. It was my fault that my imprint would never be as happy as she could have been with him. I wanted her to be happy so badly and, being the reason for her being not as happy as possible myself, the anger turned into fury. I started shaking and accidentally broke a wine glass in my fist. I didn't care about the small cuts in my hand or the shards on the counter and I didn't notice that my imprint had turned back to me at the sound of breaking glass. I had to get out of here. I hadn't phased involuntarily in over ten years, but now I knew I couldn't fight it.

I rushed into the back room.

"Autumn, can you take over for me?"

She saw my constitution and nodded, "Sure."

Of course the others saw what was happening, too.

"Seth, what's wrong? What happened?" Embry asked alertly and got up, ready to follow me. I was already at the back door and pushed it open while pleading, "Nothing. Don't follow me! Leave me alone, please!"

And then I ran, reaching the forest just in time before I exploded and found myself on four paws instead of two legs. I kept running and tried to concentrate just on the movement, the tensing of my muscles and the force with which they brought me forward. But she wouldn't leave my thoughts, nor would the anger and frustration fade. I increased my speed, barely touching the forest floor anymore.

I was glad that everyone was at the Den right now, because I wouldn't have been able to hide my thoughts from them. I didn't want them to know that I'd imprinted. They would tell me to go for it, flirt with her, win her heart and that that could help me recover. I knew better: I would never recover, not even with her help, and she deserved a life without me. I slid to a halt and howled, releasing some of my emotions into the air. Then I curled up under some bushes and whimpered for a while until I tiredly fell asleep.

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_I have 19 chapters finished for this story, but there are still about 8 to 10 more that need to be written. I've got to study for my finals and I'm a slow writer. Therefore I won't update _Sunny Side Up_ as frequently as _Roasted Squirrels. _I'll update Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. That should give me enough time to finish the missing chapters (I hope), without taxing your patience too much._

_I love reviews, both signed and anonymous are highly appreciated!  
_

_For those who don't know me yet: I'm German, so I'm not a native speaker. I try my best though. If you notice a mistake that I make over and over again, please tell me so that I can improve my English! Please PM me if you would like to beta read for me.  
_


	3. Chapter 2

_Thank you so much for f__ollowing, favoriting and reviewing, TeamPaul15 and Stars-In-The-Eyes! _

_Stars-In-The-Eyes, of course it's not bad to cry. In my opinion, a crying reader is one of the biggest compliments a writer can get! I hope you'll like Seth in this story despite his changed personality!_**  
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**I'll never be like that again**

"Seth! Come on, wake up, mate!"

I growled lowly. For once I had slept through the night without a nightmare. Instead I had dreamed of my imprint and my old self, having fun together. Being my old self felt great: no major worries and no horrid memories, but pure optimism and happiness. The dream felt real and I definitely didn't want it to stop, especially since we had been on the verge of kissing when that jerk woke me up.

"My God, Seth, you didn't take sleeping pills out here, did you? Time to wake up! Now!"

I yawned and opened my eyes reluctantly.

"Finally! Here, I brought you clothes", Embry dumped shorts in front of me and turned around to give me some privacy. I phased back and got dressed.

"Why did you have to wake me? I had the best night in one year!" I whined.

"Yeah, I saw that."

"You what?" I asked appalled. He couldn't know that I imprinted!

"I phased and saw your dream, bonehead! Sorry I woke you, but it's already noon and you seem to have forgotten about Kim and Jared's tenth anniversary party."

I groaned.

"Crap, was that today?"

"Yes. We've got two hours to get back and get ready. Come on now, my car's over there."

"Your car?" I asked dumbfounded.

"Do you actually know how far you ran yesterday night?"

I looked around. The trees indeed didn't look that familiar.

"Uh, no?"

"The stream you can hear is the Dungeness River."

"Oh", was all I had to say to that. The Dungeness River rises in the very east of the Olympic National Park and goes north to the Salish Sea. That meant I had nearly run to the other end of the Olympic peninsula, about 60 miles or so. And apparently I had slept close to a road. Luckily no hikers had found me. We got into Embry's old Chevrolet Forester and he started to drive.

"So, what exactly did you see me dreaming about?"

I had to know if he knew what the girl was to me. Embry cleared his throat.

"You and a girl. Your imprint", he said softly and I tensed, "You have quite a clear imagination of how you want your imprint to look like, haven't you?"

I relaxed. He hadn't seen her in the Den yesterday. He didn't know that she really existed and that I had already imprinted on her. I didn't know if his question was rhetorical or not and I didn't really know what to answer, so I kept silent and after a few seconds he went on, "Why did you make your imprint a pale face? Apart from Jake and Lennie all of us imprinted on a native girl."

I shrugged.

"Actually I never thought about how I wanted her to look like. Maybe my wolf made that up or maybe he already knows how my soul mate looks like."

"I hope you find her soon. She would do you good."

I snorted. It was exactly as I thought it would be. If Embry knew about her existence, he would tell me to find her and give it a try.

"I'm not psychic, Embry. That wasn't a vision of the future. It was just a dream and it's never going to become real, because I'll never be like that again."

"You never know. You slept through the night by only dreaming of her, didn't you? I bet once you met her, your nightmares will quickly make themselves scarce."

"Whatever."

The car was filled with silence for about twenty minutes until Embry spoke up again.

"Are you going to tell me what happened yesterday night?"

"No."

"Don't you think I have a right to hear it? You stole my girlfriend from me on her free night!" he insisted jokingly.

"Sorry."

Embry sighed. People sighed a lot because of me.

"Was Brady around when you phased yesterday?"

"No. Still no sign?"

Brady was the other problem child of the pack. His imprint died two years ago and he'd spent most of the time in his wolf form in the wilderness of Canada since then. He rarely talked to us over the mind connection, but usually you could at least feel the presence of another's mind, even if he hid his thoughts well. But no-one of us had felt or heard anything related to Brady for three days.

"None. I'm going to send Chad and Sky to search for him after the party."

"How should they find him? Canada is huge!"

"Well, usually he wanders around in Alberta or southeast British Columbia. Last time Collin talked to him he was at the Utikuma Lake. Maybe they can find a trace there."

"But that's more than 500 miles from here."

"I know. Jake's trying to arrange a flight to Edmonton."

"Do you think he's dead?"

"I don't know what to think. If he had met vampires he would have certainly opened his mind for us to see his problem, wouldn't he? But then again there's usually nobody phased during dinner. And I actually thought he was clever enough not to eat poisonous plants and berries. Maybe he phased back, but I can't imagine why he'd do that after all this time as a wolf and so far away from us."

"Could a ranger have shot him?"

"That's possible, but he would have had to hit the heart. I don't think that's likely. Brady knows how to hide from humans."

"Maybe he wanted to be shot", I suggested. It wasn't like I hadn't thought about suicide myself. I had decided against it, because it would feel like another victory for Cora. I had given in to her when she was alive. I wouldn't submit to a dead woman. When I had told Autumn that, she had said, "See, there's still some pride and willpower left deep inside of you. We've just got to kick it back to the surface." Several months have passed since then and my pride hadn't made it to the surface yet. It probably would never do.

Embry shot me a long worried glance. I was glad that he kept silent after that.

* * *

The huge table that had been laden with cakes and pies just half an hour ago was now completely empty except for the plates and some crumbs. Everyone was enjoying himself, chatting and laughing with his neighbors. Everyone but me, as always. Parties were hard. As hard as I tried, I just couldn't let myself go. The jokes merely made the corners of my mouth twitch. Sometimes I couldn't stand all the happiness and joy, but I always tried to stay as long as possible, because I knew that my leaving always dampened the atmosphere. Even if I only sat there silently, listening to the others and trying not to look too unhappy, my friends appreciated my presence.

Someone had suggested to play Charades and Kim was the first to make herself look silly.

"Seth? Do you have a minute?" Claire asked quietly from behind me. I half turned around to her.

"Sure."

I watched her expectantly, waiting for her to say something, but she took a step backwards.

"I'd rather talk to you out of other shifter's earshot."

"Oh, okay."

I got up and followed her out of the house and down the street. We walked for nearly five minutes without talking.

"That should be far enough, don't you think?"

"If you think so. I'm not a shifter, so I don't know how good your hearing is exactly."

"Well, I've got a better hearing than the others and I don't hear a sound from the party anymore."

"Good", she bit her bottom lip and stared at me waveringly. I frowned.

"So?"

She shifted her weight uneasily.

"Well, you know, yesterday night, when you broke that glass before running off…"

I tensed.

"What about that?"

"Quil said you didn't want to talk about the reason for your outburst…"

"True."

"I saw the girl", she stated and watched me carefully. I tried to pretend ignorance.

"Which girl?"

"The one you've been smiling at?"

Claire had seen too much and drawn the right conclusions.

"That was a fake smile."

"Yeah, at first it was, wasn't it?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

She looked confused. Good, my acting was convincing.

"I thought… well, but maybe I was wrong. Anyway, she asked me about you later. Wanted to know if you were okay."

"She did?" I asked dumbfounded.

"Yes. And although her parents paid the dinner and gave a nice tip, she added five more bucks. For you, she said."

"Why would she do that?"

Claire shrugged.

"Seth. Be honest. Did you really not imprint on her? Because it looked a lot like it."

"No, I…", her gaze was strangely rigorous and demanding, "Yes, I did. But you can't tell anyone!"

She smiled widely and squealed.

"You did? Oh my God, that's great, that's wonderful! Congratulations!"

I groaned unhappily.

"Claire, please, stop it! You've got to promise me to not tell anyone."

"Why? Seth, what's going on in your troubled mind that you don't react to imprinting like any other wolf would?"

"I… just make the promise and leave me be."

"No. I'll tell everyone if you don't tell me why you got angry about imprinting. I heard your howl. It was sad and desperate. You're supposed to be happy and you're supposed to befriend with her. You didn't even ask her name, did you?"

"Please, Claire, you can't tell the others! That's exactly why I didn't want anyone to know, because I knew there would be questions and I would be told that I should be happy and get to know her, ask her out and all that. But I can't do that, okay? I just can't!"

"Why?"

I heard light footsteps from the direction of Kim and Jared's house and looked who was coming. It was Quil. Claire followed my gaze.

"Promise", I pleaded.

"Okay, I promise", she sighed, "but you still owe me an explanation!"

I shook my head.

"You won't understand."

"Try me!"

"Definitely not now. Tell Kim and Jared, I'm sorry, okay? I'll head home."

"What? No! Please stay! Come on, you've only stayed an hour."

"Someone should be patrolling anyway."

"Embry decided that today no patrols were necessary. Stay, please, I didn't want to scare you away!"

"You didn't. I'm just not in the mood."

Quil reached us.

"You're already leaving?"

I nodded shortly.

"Bye."

Claire looked crestfallen, but that couldn't change my decision. I turned away and hurried to the forest.

"What did you have to tell him that couldn't be heard by the others?" I heard Quil ask.

"It couldn't be heard by you either, so I won't tell you. I promised him."

I doffed my clothes, tied them to my ankle and phased. Claire had pushed the memory of my imprint back into my thoughts and I was unable to help myself, but I marveled the beauty of her perfect face, her tiny features and that lovely smile on her lips. I wondered what she was doing right now. Would she be with her friends, with her family or would she be in her room, studying? Was she content with her life? Was she happy? Did she have a boyfriend? Did she get along with her parents or was she rather the rebellious type? What did she like to do in her free time?

I shook my head to get rid of these thoughts. My decision was made. I would leave her alone, so I'd never get the answer to these questions, which made thinking about them somewhat pointless. I had to forget her.

But then another question came to my mind. Was she safe? When it comes to your imprint, her happiness is not all that you're concerned about. There is also her safety. I couldn't make her happy, but I could protect her – if I knew where she lived, that is, which I didn't. I had never seen her before, which made it unlikely that she was living anywhere close. Maybe she was on vacation and lived hundreds of miles away – although this wasn't the time of year when students could go on vacation. She probably lived a car ride of one or two hours from here, in Port Angeles or Hoquiam, maybe. Anyway, as long as she didn't come back to the Den one day, I'd never know. So all I could do was keep my fingers crossed and pray for her safety.

'Whose safety?'

I jumped and shut my mental walls. I hadn't heard Embry phase.

'Doesn't matter.'

'Seth, you haven't been to the church in, what, twenty years? A girl for whose safety you would _pray_ does matter.'

'None of your business, though.'

'Seth', he sighed mentally, 'you haven't been dating any girls the last year. You ignored your groupies and all the pretty guests in the Den that tried to flirt with you. As far as I can tell, you haven't even been thinking about girls in a romantic way. Can't you understand that when you're suddenly thinking about a girl's safety, it gives me hope and makes me curious as to which girl was able to reach your withdrawn heart?'

'Don't get your hopes up. It's not like you think. Why do you think it's a girl I've been thinking of, anyway? Could've also been a woman or an aged woman even, couldn't it.'

'Then who is she?'

'Nobody. Drop it!' I growled at him, my Alpha. Instead of reprimanding me like any other pack member though, he condoned my disrespectful behavior.

'I won't! You know, sometimes I'd very much like to use my Alpha voice to get you to talk. It's been a year. All the time I've been hoping that you'd make up your mind and gather the courage to talk about it with me. I'm your best friend. Or I used to be. I suffered some of the pain with you, for heaven's sake! I always thought helping a friend through a hard time would deepen the friendship. But apparently we've grown apart instead, since you cannot even talk about girls with me anymore!'

Apparently, living with me required a lot of patience and restraint and Embry had somewhat reached his limits in this regard. He was angry and disappointed. He even growled at me at the end of his speech.

'I'm sorry', I replied calmly. I didn't know what else to say since I couldn't get myself to talk to him, neither about the torture nor about my imprinting.

'Yeah, me too', he said grumpily, in a way that insinuated he wasn't sorry for his words, but for our breaking friendship, or maybe even for having helped me through my suffering.

'Embry. You know I'm deeply grateful that you stayed with me. I owe you for that selfless sign of friendship. I still think of you as my best friend. And I think our friendship has deepened, because otherwise I would be so embarrassed that you wake me from my nightmares nearly every night. I can't explain why I can talk to Autumn about it, but not to you. And in terms of the girls… you're right, they're not on my mind very much anymore. And since you've imprinted, there's only one girl on your mind. That's why we don't talk about girls anymore. We're not the players we used to be anymore.'

'But obviously there _is_ a girl on your mind now. After what that bitch did to you, I can understand, well, no, not understand, but I can imagine that the thought of a sexual relationship frightens you.'

I whimpered involuntarily. He was right. How did he know?

'So I won't tell you to ask her out', he continued, 'Just try to make a small step out of your shell. Talk to her. A simple _Hello, how are you?_ would be enough for the beginning. A genuine smile could be the second step. Or maybe that's too difficult, then let it be the fifth or sixth step after extending your talk to comments about the weather, complimenting her or whatever you can bring yourself to do. Just do something. Don't hide in your shell.'

I couldn't help but snort.

'What kind of girl would want to talk to me? Good looks aren't everything. A constantly miserable guy would scare any girl away.'

'Pretend not to be.'

'Easy to say.'

'Give it a try.'

'I'll remember this when there's actually a girl I'm interested in.'

'What about the girl you've been thinking about?'

'I only saw her once and I don't think I'll ever see her again.'

'Why?'

'She was just a guest at the Den. You know our guests come from all over the Olympic Peninsula.'

'And why are you concerned with her safety?' he asked softly.

'I don't know. She looked kind of vulnerable.'

That wasn't entirely true, although her tiny features made her look like a breakable doll.

'Well, I've got to go back to the party. This was, in the end, a good talk. Thank you, Seth.'

I didn't know what to answer. I couldn't say _You're welcome_ could I?

'Are you going to come back to the party for dinner?'

I sighed. I didn't want to.

'I think I'll go see Mom and Charlie.'

'Okay. See you.'

'See you.'

* * *

_Review please!_

_Next chapter - in which Seth is going to meet his imprint again - will be up on Wednesday!  
_


	4. Chapter 3

_Happy new year, everyone! I hope you had a better start than me. I was awfully sick. I'm out of the woods now but I haven't fully recovered. _**  
**

_Thanks for reviewing, TeamPaul15 and 'Guest'!  
_

_Thank you for favoriting, canadian shorebird!  
_

_Thank you for following, I Am Switzerland101! I'm kind of missing your reviews here, though ;)  
_

* * *

**It was too hard to wake up and face reality**

I spent the following days distracting myself by working and patrolling a lot. My nights didn't stay as good as that one night out in the forest. It was like when I killed a vampire. At first the nightmares would stay away, but soon they would start to come back. I refused to think of my imprint at daytime because it was just too depressing, and worrying about her safety without ever being relieved by good news was quite exhausting, but I learned that thinking of her at night, just before falling asleep or after waking up from a nightmare, was healthy, as long as I didn't invent any horror scenes in which she got killed by a vampire. I did that once – and regretted it badly as it resulted in a nightmare worse than all my others. So instead, I imagined scenes of her being happy. Those scenes never involved me, because although that dream in the first night about us being happy together had felt great, it was too hard to wake up and face reality, in which we'd never be together.

On a Saturday two weeks after my imprinting Leah and I left the Den in the reliable hands of Emily, Claire, Autumn and Olivia for a day trip to Port Angeles. Of course Leah's kids June, Janelle and Jay came along and with his imprint being gone for a whole day, Collin couldn't stay behind either, so we all squashed in Leah's midnight blue Buick Verano.

The plan for the day was a visit to the marine life center in the morning, a cake marathon afterwards and a movie to close the day.

The _Wolf's Den_ has been going really well for several years now. This spring a well-known restaurant critic had inspected it and after the publication of his excellent evaluation we were inundated with reservation requests and we still had a full house every night and every Saturday and Sunday noon. The tables for Friday and Saturday nights were fully booked at least one week ahead. We had been thinking of ways to expand for a few months now. Our property wasn't large enough for a profitable extension. We had decided that when both Embry and Quil had moved out of our house to live with their imprints, which would likely be in two to three years, and the Den was still going well, Leah and her kids would move in with me and we'd convert the flat above the Den to another dining area. Until then, we wanted to try something else. On weekends, there was always a gap filled with idleness when the lunch guests had gone and the dinner guests hadn't yet arrived. We wanted to fill that gap with some kind of coffeehouse service: offering tea, coffee and light snacks including cakes and pies. We intended to keep up with our high lunch and dinner standards, so today we would inspect eight cafes and bakeries at Port Angeles to see if any of it could meet our expectations and was interested in supplying us with cakes and pies on weekends.

In the first cafes, June and Janelle shared a slice while Leah, Collin and I each ate a whole slice. We handed the plates round so that everybody could try all four different types. After the fourth café the twins had to surrender, claiming that they had had enough. Needless to say that we wolves were just about half full. The cafes had served average cakes, one being slightly better, but we wanted outstanding. The three bakeries that followed weren't any better, so we were kind of pessimistic when it came to the last object on our list. _Reichenbach's_ _- German bakery and pastry shop _said the sign above the entrance. The showcase held big pictures of impressive multi-level wedding cakes and was decorated with fake flowers.

"German? I thought one of the Den's maxims was to only offer local specialties and North American cuisine", Collin wondered.

"Yes, the cakes might become an exception to that rule", Leah admitted, "German pastries are said to be very good. Let's see if it's true."

She pushed the door open and we entered the small shop. Apart from the counter which held at least ten different types of tortes, cakes and pies there was a rack with various breads and rolls and a small eating area. Leah ushered the twins towards the tables.

"Go ahead girls and get us a table."

A chubby brunette in her mid-forties stood behind the counter and smiled kindly at us.

"Good afternoon! What can I get you?"

"Hello", Leah smiled back, "let us think for a sec."

"These fancy cakes look amazing!" Collin whispered.

"Yeah, I can't decide on anything either", Leah mumbled back. In front of each cake stood a small card that read the name of the cake both in English and German.

"I'll take the Black Forest cake", I decided.

"Good, I definitely want to try that one, too", Leah said.

"I'll go with the cheesecake", Collin announced.

"Okay, then I'll have the marzipan cake. And what do you think: shall we get the crumb cake, too? You aren't full yet, are you, guys?" Leah asked.

"Crumb cake sounds good, that would have been my second choice", Collin replied.

"That's it then."

"Nothing for the girls?" the woman behind the counter asked.

"No, thanks, they aren't hungry", Leah smiled back.

"Well, okay. I'll bring the cakes over to your table in a minute. Can I get you something to drink, too? A coffee, maybe?"

"Yes, I'll take a coffee", Leah answered.

"Me too", I added.

"Nothing for me, thanks", Collin said. We went to the girls who had pushed two of the small tables together so that we had enough room. Leah took Jay out of his stroller and sat him on her lap. She bounced her leg up and down and he giggled happily.

Only one other table was occupied. Three teenage boys sat there drinking coke. They talked in hushed tones, not knowing that we could hear them anyway.

"Damn, she's hot!"

"Yeah, but look where it got her. She was probably a teenage Mom when she got the girls."

"I wonder why she's going out with two boys our age. She surely could do better."

"You think one of them is her boyfriend?"

Leah could barely hold back her laughter. Collin chuckled lightly.

"Maybe it's just her brother and his friend."

"Her brother? She has to be at least ten years older."

"So what?"

"Maybe none of the kids is really hers and she's just babysitting them", one suggested jokingly and the other two laughed.

"Yeah, that's why one of the guys looks so pissed."

Leah and Collin immediately got serious and eyed me warily. I managed to adumbrate a smile and they relaxed. The saleswoman brought our orderings and I tried the Black Forest cake cautiously. Leah had been quicker with her own cake and uttered a sound of pure pleasure.

"This is delicious!" she voiced after swallowing. I had to agree with her, because mine was very good, too.

"Different from usual cheesecakes, but not in a bad way", Collin announced his opinion about his cake. We hand rounded our plates and tried the crumb cake, too, which was also very good.

"I think we've found our supplier", Leah said.

"Yeah, if they want to be", I agreed.

"Mom, can I try?" June asked excitedly.

"I thought you had enough?" Leah teased.

"That was nearly an hour ago. Just a bite, please!"

"I want one, too!" Janelle exclaimed.

"Well, which one do you want to try?" Leah asked.

"Which one's the best?" June wanted to know.

"The Black Forest, I'd say", Leah replied, placed the piece of cake in front of her daughter and handed her her fork. Janelle watched her sister eagerly and couldn't wait to try as well. Since I had ordered the Black forest cake in the first place, I got to finish it. When we were all finished, the saleswoman came to clear the table and asked, "Did you enjoy it? Can I get you something else?"

"It was wonderful, thanks. Actually we have a question. We would like to talk to the owner of this place. Is that you?" Leah asked.

"No, I'm just an assistant. I'm afraid the owner isn't here today. But her daughter is in the back, maybe you could tell her your request and she passes it to her mother."

"Yes, okay. Can you get her?"

"Sure. May I ask what it's about? Has anything been wrong with the cake or the service?"

"I didn't lie when I said it was wonderful. We want to suggest a deal."

"Oh, okay. Just a moment, please."

She hurried away and not a minute later I heard someone else approach with lighter steps. I had my back to the counter and the approaching girl and I only turned to her when she spoke up.

"Good afternoon. I'm", she said a foreign name that sounded like Yoo-lia Rey-en-buck – perhaps Julia Reichenbach, "my mother is the owner. What can I do for you?"

At the sight of her I couldn't help but jump. I was looking right into the eyes of my imprint. Recognition flashed over her face as she smiled at me.

"You're Seth, aren't you? You're working at the _Wolf's Den_."

How did she know my name?

"Y-yes, I am", I stumbled. Leah and Collin watched me curiously. When nobody said anything, Julia asked, "So?" and looked at Leah and Collin. Leah smiled.

"Sorry, I was distracted for a second. I'm Leah Clearwater, Seth's sister, these are my daughters June and Janelle, my son Jayden and that's Collin Littlesea, a friend of the family. We would like to make a bargain with you – or rather with your mother. Please, take a seat."

Julia got another chair and sat down right beside me. I had to remind me how to breathe and was glad that Leah would do the talking.

"Seth and I own the _Wolf's Den_. From your words I assume you've been there already?"

"Yes, just two weeks ago. My family and I loved it."

"Thank you. Well, we love your cakes and we want to offer cakes on the weekends. So, we wondered if you could supply us with, let's say four, cakes every Friday?"

"Oh, well. Of course only my Mom can answer that. Making four more cakes shouldn't be a problem, but what about the delivery? Could you come and get them? We're always busy on Fridays to prepare for the weekend and there's nobody who has the time to go all the way to La Push."

She spoke with a heavy, cute accent.

"That's no problem. Seth always goes to the central market here in Port Angeles on Friday mornings to buy other restaurant supplies. He can easily drop by and get the cakes."

Oh no. I couldn't! I wanted to stay out of her life, I couldn't see her every Friday.

"Okay. So, since you came all the way up here, I could call my mother and ask her to come around so that you can discuss it with her. She would be here in less than half an hour. Or are you in a hurry?"

"No, that would be great. Please call her."

She pulled a cell phone out of her jean pocket and brushed my bare arm with her hand while doing so. I flinched back as if I had received a shock. I got Goosebumps where she had touched me and butterflies in my stomach. Everyone but Jayden looked at me strangely. I avoided Julia's gaze, but I could feel her eyes on me.

"Sorry, I'm a bit jumpy today", I muttered.

Leah shot me a look that clearly said she didn't believe me and I groaned inwardly. I already hated the questions I'd have to answer later. Julia dialed a number and didn't have to wait long for her Mom to pick up. She chatted briskly with her in a language that I guessed was German. All I understood was "Hi, Mommy" and "Wolf's Den".

"She's on her way", she said finally after hanging up.

"Great. So, you're from Germany?" Leah asked.

"Yeah. We moved here three years ago."

"Why did you move?" Collin joined their conversation.

"My Mom remarried, an American, obviously, and so we moved in with him and his son."

"What about your Dad?" Leah asked softly.

"He's dead", she said casually.

"I'm sorry", Collin replied.

"How can you be so nonchalant about it? Our Dad died fifteen years ago and I still miss him every day", Leah frowned. She still blamed herself because her first phasing had caused his heart attack.

"I'm sorry for you. My father died when I was two years old, so I can't even remember him. Of course I've got photos, but I'm used to only having my Mom. We always got along very well", she turned to me and continued, "So, you've also lost your Dad when you were little? Do you have any memories of him?"

"Yes, I have. I wasn't that little, actually."

I still avoided her eyes.

"Julie, babe", one of the three guys from the other table shouted, "It's half past four! You said we could go now!"

She got up and went to him.

"Sorry, Andy, these customers are important for us. Only half an hour more, I promise", she said quietly.

"What?" he roared and she flinched, "more important than a date with your boyfriend?"

He gripped her wrist tightly and got up.

"Susan can certainly serve these customers just as well as you. We're going. Now!"

She tried to free herself from his grip.

"No, Andy! I told you I had to work until five! It's your fault you can't tell the time!"

He slapped her and his friends gasped. I was out of my chair within milliseconds and next to Julia in under a second. I shoved Andy back into his chair which wobbled critically from the force while I simultaneously freed her wrist. He looked at me with wide, slightly fearful eyes. It was deadly silent for a few seconds.

"And you call yourself her boyfriend? Start acting like a gentleman, you creep", I said venomously. He kept staring at me without saying anything, so I suggested, "You could start by apologizing."

Julia laid a hand on my arm.

"Thank you, Seth. It's okay. He'll apologize later."

I looked into her fawn brown eyes. They were sad. I took her hand from my arm and rubbed her already bruising wrist lightly. Suddenly realizing what I did, I dropped her hand and returned to my seat. I refused to look at Leah or Collin, knowing very well that I had raised the imminent questions to an even more annoying level.

"That was creepy", whispered one of Andy's friends.

"Asshole", muttered Andy, "Who does he think he is?"

A low growl rose in my throat. Julia's light steps came back to our table.

"Excuse me, I've got some work to finish in the back. My mother will be here in about ten minutes."

"Alright, thank you", Leah replied.

* * *

_I chose Julia's last name very carefully, because I wanted it to be one that is hard to pronounce for Americans (Seth is going to pronounce it wrong all the time). Now I figured you might want to know how it is pronounced correctly. The "Rey-en-buck" is how I imagine it to sound to American ears, but it's still far from what it really sounds like. Our 'r' is somewhere between the Spanish rolled 'r' and the English 'r' (see Wikipedia: 'uvular trill' for further information). The 'ei' sounds just like your 'I'. The first 'ch' is similar to the 'h' in 'human' (Wikipedia: voiceless palatal fricative). 'en' is the same as in English 'den'. The 'ba' is similar to 'bu' in 'but'. The second 'ch' is like 'ch' in 'Loch Ness' or a bit like 'j' in Spanish 'Juan' (Wikipedia: voiceless velar fricative). The emphasis is on the first syllable. I hope that helped a little ;) In Germany 'Julia' is pronounced like Seth heard it, something like 'Yoolia'._

_Oh, and by the way, I know that a German accent usually isn't cute. However, she's his imprint and that takes the rose-colored glasses to a whole new level ;)  
_

_Please review!  
_


	5. Chapter 4

_Thank you for following and reviewing, KittyPimms! I'm afraid there will be a lot of cakes in this story :P_**  
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_Thank you too for the review, WolvePackForever! The name confused me at first :D Plus, in the mail that said 'new review' the word 'dick' was replaced with '**' and I thought, who writes like that? But apparently FanFiction is just really concerned about the innocence of younger users. Doesn't make sense to leave the 'dick' in the review where anyone can see it though :D  
_

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**You'd think he has a great life**

When Julia was gone, Leah asked, "Is there anything you want to tell us, Seth?"

"No."

"Then what was that about?"

"What was what about?"

"Seth!" she groaned, "You know exactly what I mean!"

"I'm a bit tetchy when it comes to defenseless people being hurt by stronger people. That's all."

"Oh, come on, that's not all! You've already been acting strange before he slapped her, right from the first moment you saw her."

"Tut!"

"Did you imprint on her?" June asked in her childlike straightforwardness.

"No", I muttered.

"Are you sure? Cause it totally looked like it", Collin said. Leah gasped and her eyes widened.

"You did, didn't you? She knew you from when she ate at the Den two weeks ago. Two weeks ago there was that incident when you broke the glass, rushed out the back door and Embry found you on the other side of the national park the next day. He said you'd been dreaming about your imaginary imprint. But she wasn't imaginary, right? It was her, Julia."

I breathed out frustrated.

"Well, okay, yes, I imprinted on her. But you can't tell anyone and you won't bother me with it either, got it!?"

"You know I'm not that good at hiding my thoughts", Leah submitted.

"Why don't you want the others to know, anyway?" Collin asked, "Imprinting is a wonderful thing. Why don't you want us to be happy for you?"

"That's exactly my point. It's not wonderful, not for me at least. I didn't want you to know because you all won't understand!"

"Right, I don't understand. Are you rejecting the imprint?" Leah asked incredulously.

Thankfully I didn't have to answer because right then someone entered from the back door and both Leah and Collin looked that way. I turned to see if it was Julia's Mom. The woman was as small as my imprint and had the same tiny features, though crow's feet and laugh lines were added to them. She shot a disapproving glance to Andy. Clearly she wasn't happy about her daughter's choice of a boyfriend. Neither was I. Actually it made me sick. She approached us with a gentle smile.

"Good afternoon. Silke Reichenbach-Finch, nice to meet you. Mrs. Clearwater, isn't it?"

Leah and her shook hands.

"Miss, actually, I'm divorced. Nice to meet you too", Leah replied and introduced us to her. Then she explained the deal again and after Mrs Reichenbach-Finch agreed to it they discussed the details. At exactly five o'clock Julia's light steps came back into the shop and stopped behind her Mom. She placed a delicate hand on her shoulder.

"Mami, ich geh jetzt. Andy und ich gehen später noch ins Kino, erwarte mich also nicht so früh zurück."*

Her mother placed her own hand onto hers.

"Okay, Schatz. Viel Spaß!"*

"Danke"*, Julia nodded at us, "It was nice meeting you."

In a lower voice she added, "Thanks again for helping me, Seth."

I gave in to the urge and looked her in the eyes.

"You're welcome. How's your wrist?"

"Fine, thanks", she smiled at me and it was silent for a moment while we both seemed unable to break eye contact.

"Julie! Hurry up!" Andy interrupted that silence. Julia sighed and looked away.

"See you!"

"See you", I replied, accepting that my plan to stay out of her life had failed.

I watched her leave with Andy, who had his arm around her shoulders, and his friends and listened as he whispered, angry again, "Don't flirt with other guys in my presence!"

"I didn't flirt!" she disagreed.

"Of course you did! What do you see in him anyway? He's a sourpuss!"

The door flapped shut behind them and I couldn't hear anything else. I hoped he wouldn't hurt her again. It would be my fault and I couldn't even stand the thought of being responsible for her pain. Her mother's eyes followed them as they passed the shop window and she sighed.

"Does he hurt her a lot?" I couldn't help but ask.

"If he did I would forbid her to ever see him again. As far as I know he sometimes slaps her lightly or grabs her a bit too tightly. She claims that it's not his fault that he's got anger issues, that she has learned to avoid his anger and that he always regrets hurting her later on and apologizes and makes it up to her. Still, I can't wait for the day they break up."

My hands started shaking slightly and I fought for control.

"Well", Mrs. Reichenbach-Finch continued, "I'll prepare the contract and a list of all available cakes and give them to you along with the first four cakes next Friday. What kind of cakes do you want for next weekend?"

"Black Forest cake, cheese cake, crumb cake and… another light fruit cake, maybe. What can you recommend?" Leah asked.

"You should try the plum cake. It will be the last one for this season, but it's really good."

"Alright, sounds good. Seth, when are you usually finished on the market?"

"At about three."

"Okay", Mrs. Reichenbach-Finch said, "then I'll have them ready at three next Friday."

She got up and we said our goodbyes and left. After some time killing at the park it was time to go to the movies. Leah had wanted to stay in the foyer to watch over Jay and now I suggested that I stayed and she went with Collin and the girls to see the movie, because I wasn't in the mood for a kids' comedy.

I sat down in the waiting area and rolled Jay's stroller back and forth to lull him to sleep. I watched the people entering the cinema, buying their tickets and disappearing in the direction of the auditoriums. Most of them were headed to screen 1 where a remake of Dracula was being showed. I envied them for their ignorance of the existence of vampires and their simple non-supernatural lives. I wondered what would happen if humans ever found out about them. And what would happen if they found out about us? In the mind of an ignorant human we might be monsters and no better than vampires. Leah and especially I would have to restart aging soon as the high profile of the Den drew public attention to us. It was a miracle nobody had yet questioned my lack of aging. Then again, I didn't want to stop being a wolf. Killing vampires was too satisfying.

I froze when a group of teenagers entered the foyer. It was Julia, Andy, his friends and two other girls. Julia and one of the other girls clung to each other and giggled. Then my imprint looked up and spotted me. She smiled and waved lightly. I waved back with a fake smile. Her friend stared at me.

"Who's that?" she asked Julia quietly, as to not call Andy's attention.

"That's Seth Clearwater. He owns the _Wolf's Den_ together with his sister. Can you imagine that, being so young and already owning a famous restaurant?"

"No! Really? How old is he?"

"I don't know. Nineteen, maybe."

"I bet he's a womanizer. He's really hot, successful, and, well", she grimaced, "kind of depressed at the moment. Maybe he's pissed that he's got to babysit that kid. Or is it his own?"

"No, that's his nephew. I don't know, it seems he's always like that. Depressed, I mean. At least every time I've seen him yet he had that look."

"Really? I wonder why. You'd think he has a great life with that body of his and a well-going restaurant to call his own."

"Yeah", Julia replied, staring at me.

"Hey, you're not crushing on him, are you?"

She looked at her friend and shook her head.

"No, of course not. I already have a boyfriend, remember?"

"Yeah, well, it wouldn't surprise me if you'd fall for someone else though. I still can't", Julia interrupted her.

"Stop it, Izzy! We had that conversation thousand times and you won't change my mind by bringing it up for the thousand and oneth time."

Izzy dragged Julia away from their friends to the far side of the foyer. She took her hand with the bruised wrist and looked at her questioningly.

"He did it again, didn't he? When are you going to dump that jackass? When he gets you into hospital?"

"Izzy! I love him! Okay!? Remember Valentine's Day? That was the best date I ever had! He doesn't hurt me on purpose. He always regrets it later on and is heartbroken."

"Yeah, sure. A vampire is charming, too, before he sinks his teeth into your neck! Andy has serious anger issues and you cannot know if one day he won't go further than to just bruise your wrist and slap your cheek."

"Julie! Isabella! We've got the tickets, come on now!" Andy shouted. Julia walked over to him, ignoring Isabella's desperate face. Jayden started whining and only then I realized I had started shaking again. Since I had still held on to the stroller, the tremors had woken up the two-year-old.

"Shhh, Jay, I'm sorry", I soothed, my voice trembling as well. Jay reached out for me and looked at me with his puppy dog face. I sighed and lifted him out of the stroller and onto my lap.

"Tell wolf story!" he demanded and bounced up and down excitedly. Great. Now he was wide awake.

"Not now, Jay. It's past eight, you should be sleeping!"

"I want bedtime story!"

"Oh, well", I sighed again. He happily cuddled up to me and I started telling the legend of the Spirit Warriors. An hour later Leah, Collin and the twins found us both sleeping. I tried not to wake Jay up while carrying him to the car.

"I'm not coming back with you. I'll return later", I announced when we reached the Verano.

"Why?" Leah asked confused. I sighed.

"Julia is in the cinema with some friends right now. I want to see where she lives so I can check on her whenever I feel the need to."

Leah smiled.

"That's good."

I realized that she thought I had changed my mind and wouldn't reject the imprint and I left her in that belief.

I had to wait another hour until Julia finally left the cinema. She kissed Andy goodbye and followed Isabella to a shiny yellow Volkswagen Rabbit. Luckily Isabella didn't drive fast and I could easily keep up with the car. In wolf form I could follow a car on the highway, but in human form the town was my absolute limit. At this time of the night there weren't many cars and even less pedestrians on the streets which made it unlikely that someone noticed my inhuman speed. I followed them to the northwest of Port Angeles. In a street where you could hear the waves crashing onto the beach and where you could catch a glimpse of the water glittering in the moonlight in between the houses on the right, Isabella pulled onto a driveway on the left. Both girls got out of the car and said their goodbyes. While Isabella went up to the door of the house next to which she had parked, Julia walked down the street a few hundred feet and entered a house on the right. My jaw dropped. My imprint lived in one of the best quarters of Port Angeles in a big house with sea view and probably direct access to the beach! I sneaked to the other side of the house. There wasn't a small path to the beach like I had assumed. Instead, there was a sheer which made the view even more splendid. However, that wasn't what I wanted to know. I turned to the house just in time to see the light in a window on the first floor being turned on. I hid in the shadow of an oak tree. Julia appeared behind the window and shut the roller blind.

I stripped out of my clothes, tied them to my ankle and phased. I listened carefully until I heard calm, steady breaths from Julia's room. Content, I phased back and left Port Angeles in human form only to phase again in the woods to run home.

* * *

_*) I'm not translating these sentences because Seth doesn't understand them either. Don't worry, there will be next to no more German sentences in this story, unless Seth learns a few words (in which case you would learn them with him)._

_Please, leave me a review! Tell me what you think, both good and bad things.  
_

_Next update tomorrow!  
_


	6. Chapter 5

_Thanks again for the review, Read 'n Love 2Gether!_**  
**

_Thank you for reviewing, following, and favoriting, EliseInWonderland247! It's great to hear that someone is actually interested in my language! Vielen Dank ;)  
_

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**Who else could heal your soul if not her?**

I had patrol the next morning and I was glad that Leah and Collin hadn't spilled anything to Embry yet. At least that was what I thought because he didn't bother me with any annoying questions. All he did was ask about the result of the cake marathon.

My luck didn't last long, though. When I entered the back room of the Den at dinner time, everyone but Leah and Simon, who had the afternoon patrol, and Chad and Sky, who were still searching for Brady in Canada, was already seated. Emily and Kim had just served four large sheets of pizza and everybody hurried to get himself a slice as big as possible, when Simon burst into the room excitedly.

"Is it true? You imprinted, Seth?"

Emily dropped the spatula she was holding and the utensil clattered noisily onto the sheet in the sudden dead silence. All eyes were on me and I shifted uneasily. Leah had been one step behind Simon and hurried over to me with a guilty look on her face.

"I'm so sorry! I tried to hide it, I really did, but it just slipped through and I couldn't stop him", she whispered although we both knew that every wolf in the room could hear her anyway.

"So, it's true?" Sam asked.

I cleared my throat.

"Yes", I sighed, preparing myself for the flood of questions and exclamations that came down on me immediately.

"On whom?"

"Congrats!"

"What's her name?"

"How does she look like?"

"Finally!"

"When?"

"Yesterday in Port Angeles?"

"Isn't that wonderful!"

"How old is she?"

"When will you see her again?"

"Seth, why don't you seem happy about it?"

The last question came from Olivia and everyone else went quiet at that.

"I'm not ready for an imprint yet. Just forget it, please."

"But Seth", Kim said softly, "Don't you think she might be able to help you out of your misery?"

"No. It's my job to keep her safe and make her happy, not to trouble her with my broken soul."

I got up, took my slice of pizza with me and went out the back door, leaving silence behind me. I went to the beach and sat down on a log, not minding the slight drizzle. When I heard footsteps approaching me, I sighed. Of course there had to be someone who didn't get the hint that I wanted to be alone and definitely didn't want to talk. Autumn sat down beside me. Instead of trying to get me to talk, she ate her pizza silently.

"Embry will kill me if I let you sit here in the rain", I said.

"It's my choice where I sit and I have you to warm me", she replied and snuggled against my side. She had enough before she had finished her slice so she gave the rest to me.

"So", she started and I knew my reprieve was over, "don't worry, I won't say much. Just this: Do you remember when one year ago you told me: _Talking helps. Give it a try and you'll realize that I'm right._ And I did. Then I told you: _Socializing helps. Give it a try and you'll realize that I'm right. _And you did. Now I'm telling you that love helps. Give it a try and you'll realize that I'm right."

"Just because talking and socializing helped both of us doesn't mean love does as well."

"But it might. Try it. You've got nothing to lose, have you?"

"Autumn, it's different for me than it was for you. Your father tried to rape you. Did that ever cause a problem in your relationship with Embry? When you first had sex, maybe?"

"No", she answered confused.

"See?"

"No, I don't. What's that got to do with you? You weren't nearly raped."

"No", I laughed bitterly, "I wasn't _nearly_ raped."

I took a deep breath before I continued, "I never told you because I was – I _am_ – so extremely ashamed of myself and it's so hard to say it out loud when all I want is to bury the memory deep inside my brain and never dig it out again. Cora", my voice broke and I opened and closed my mouth uselessly, not getting out a single sound. Autumn shook her head, not wanting to believe what I had hinted.

"She raped you?" she asked in a barely audible whisper. I nodded.

"Three", I had to clear my throat, "Three times."

My stomach churned at the memory. Autumn hugged me and I felt hot tears falling down on my shoulder.

"I'm so sorry."

She rubbed my back and I willed myself to give in to my feelings and let my own tears fall. Crying was relieving and in front of Autumn I'd never been ashamed of my tears. But it didn't change how I felt: used, dirty, dishonored, ignoble and utterly ashamed. I didn't feel like a man anymore, more like a boy, just not as innocent and pure.

After a while of conjoint crying she suggested, "Well, as long as you're not ready for a relationship, you could still become her friend. Like you're mine. She's your soul mate after all. Who else could heal your soul if not her?"

I pulled away.

"She won't want to be my friend. She won't be able to stand my constant depression or won't want to cope with it."

"She will", Autumn replied determinedly.

"How can you be so sure? You never met her."

"But I know what the imprint bond feels like on the girl's side. I trusted Embry from the beginning and I felt a pull towards him that I couldn't explain at that time. I wanted him to like me and was afraid that he might not want to cope with my muteness. I'm sure your imprint feels that pull, too."

"But, provided that she does want to be my friend – which I still doubt –, what if after a while she wants to be more than friends? Then I'll lose her. I'd rather not befriend her in the first place."

"If you told her your reasons, she'd understand."

I snorted.

"I needed one year to tell _you_! And you are… some kind of fellow sufferer that is easy to talk to."

"I still think you should give it a try."

I groaned.

"Would you tell me about her?" Autumn asked.

I shrugged.

"There's not much to tell."

"Then tell me what little there is."

"Well. She's German. Her name's Julia. She's about your age and she lives in Port Angeles. Her father died when she was little and she can hardly remember him. Her mother remarried an American, that's why they left Germany. She's got a stepbrother. Her mother owns the pastry shop that's going to supply us with cakes. So I'll most likely see her sometimes on Fridays when I get the cakes."

"That's good. Makes it easier to start a friendship. What does she look like?"

"She's got dyed blond hair, fawn brown beautiful eyes and tiny features. She's small, at least ten inches smaller than me."

"Since you already know details of her life you must have talked to her already."

"Just a few words. Leah and Collin chatted with her. Julia… has a boyfriend. And he's got anger issues."

"Like Paul?"

Autumn never met Paul who was killed by the vampires that tortured me, but she had heard a lot.

"No, not like Paul. Paul never hurt Rachel."

"And he hurts Julia?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes. When we were in the shop, he was there, too, waiting for her to finish her work. He got angry because she couldn't go early. He slapped her and bruised her wrist."

"And I guess you didn't just watch that calmly."

"No. I shoved him back into his chair and told him to apologize and start acting like a gentleman."

"Did he?"

"No, not as long as I was there. Julia said he would apologize later."

"He better has. How's she been acting towards you? Was she nice?"

"Yes, she was. Andy – her boyfriend – actually accused her of flirting with me. She said she wasn't and I don't think she was, but she was nice."

"What makes you think she could shy away from your depression? To me it sounds like she didn't mind."

"She was just being polite because of the deal we had to make."

"Oh no. You said she was nice. Not polite."

"She was being nice to be polite."

"Okay, whatever. Promise me to talk to her again. More than just a few words."

I shook my head.

"Seth! Promise!"

The rain became heavier.

"Come on, let's get you out of the rain."

I stood up, but Autumn didn't move.

"No. Not before you promised!"

I lifted her up before she could realize what I was about to do.

"Hey!" she complained, "Put me down!"

"I don't think so."

She struggled against my hold.

"Not fair!"

I chuckled and Autumn froze.

"Seth Clearwater, was that a genuine chuckle? Not a faked chuckle, nor a bitter chuckle, but an honest merry chuckle?"

"Felt like it", I muttered as surprised as Autumn about this discovery.

"I told you she would heal your soul. Now you definitely have to give me my promise!"

I rolled my eyes.

"Alright. I promise."

* * *

_After a reviewer pointed out that the titles of my stories might be too strange and that they might stop some users from even giving the story a try, I would like to hear more opinions on that. Did I go too far in my attempt to be original? Should I change them? My first titles were 'Silence' for Roasted Squirrels and 'Shards' for Sunny Side Up, but they're just so boring and there are already a hundred stories out there titled 'Silence'. Now I'm thinking of 'Wolf Drawings' for Roasted Squirrels and 'Sleeping Through The Night' for Sunny Side Up. I'm not that content with 'Wolf Drawings' though. Please tell me what you think, I need feedback on this!  
_

_Review please!  
_


	7. Chapter 6

_Thank you for the German reviews, EliseInWonderland247 and WolvePackForever! You guys are great :) It's amazing how good Google Translate has become. It used to produce a lot of rubbish. Though I wouldn't translate amazing into erstaunlich. It's not completely wrong, but it doesn't fit in this context. Erstaunlich is more something along the lines of astonishing ;)  
_

_Thank you for following and favoriting, KayRenee!  
_

_Another thanks to whoever suggested me for the Original Twilight Roleplay! That really flattered me. But I had to reject the offer, because role playing just isn't my thing. I need my own ideas to write about, in my own pace. I wouldn't have the time anyway.**  
**_

* * *

**Shades of Old Seth**

Two days later I was patrolling with Embry once again. Chad and Sky were phased, too, and Chad was currently arguing with Embry.

'Come on, we've been straying in Alberta for two weeks now without finding more than days or weeks old traces of Brady. I don't know where else to go. Let us return home!'

Embry growled.

'We won't give him up this easily! There has to be a clue about his sudden disappearance!'

'You just don't want to accept that he's dead!'

I flinched.

'Prove his death and you may return', Embry replied.

'That's looking for a needle in a haystack!' Chad huffed.

'Well, you haven't been looking in the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks yet. Brady used to be there sometimes.'

'Yeah, I know and we've just crossed the border of Jasper National Park, but honestly, I don't think that we'll find him here. Either he's dead or he doesn't want to be found.'

'Search the Canadian Rockies and then we'll talk about your return again. That's my final word.'

Chad grunted.

'Hey, Chad, over here!' Sky called agitatedly.

'What?' Chad snapped.

'Well, just come and see! Or rather smell. It's a fresh trace, ten hours old tops. It's him!'

Chad projected what he saw in his thought so that we could see it. Sky was sniffing a tree and the surrounding ground intently. Chad ran over to him and lowered his nose to the forest floor.

'Indeed. But… no… although… no, that's not him.'

'What?' Sky asked bewildered, 'Of course it's him! Are you sure that your nose is working?'

'Yes, I am', he growled back, causing the lower-ranked wolf to duck his head submissively, 'It's a similar scent, very similar actually, but still it's not his. Something's missing… yeah, the human whiff that makes a shape shifter's scent differ from a normal wolf's is missing. This was just a normal wolf which happens to smell a lot like Brady.'

'No, that's impossible', Sky sniffed again.

'Consider that Brady hasn't phased back to his human form for a long time', Embry intervened, 'I think it's been a whole year. Maybe the human scent fades away if a shifter doesn't phase back.'

'But the old traces we found at Utikuma Lake had that human whiff', Chad argued.

'Follow the track and try to find the wolf. If the scent really is that similar to Brady's you shouldn't disregard it until you know for sure if it's a wolf or Brady.'

The nose closely to the ground Sky followed that order immediately. Chad groaned and trotted after him. They soon found a small hollow underneath some bushes where the wolf had obviously stayed the night. The fresh trace that led away from his camp was about three hours old. At the end of Embry's and mine patrol Chad and Sky hadn't made up leeway, but they caught up with the wolf the next day. At the end of our morning patrol they were already close and Embry stayed phased while I phased back to work at the Den. The snack menu cards and ad-flyers had to be designed for our first weekend offering 'afternoon coffee'.

When it was time for dinner, Embry and Simon, who patrolled with him, came half an hour late.

"Hey guys", Embry greeted with a distressed expression on his face.

Simon, who seemed even more troubled than Embry, slumped down on an empty chair. Our conversations died away. Clearly they had no good news. I wondered what could have happened that was so disturbing. There were only two options. One, they had met a wild, normal wolf. That would be disappointing, but not stressing. Two, they had found Brady. That would be good news. Wouldn't it?

"What happened? Is… is he dead?" Collin asked anxiously.

"No, no it seems not", Embry replied quickly before he pecked Autumn on the lips and sat down next to her, taking her hand.

"It _seems_ not? What does that mean?" Collin dug deeper.

Embry sighed.

"Chad and Sky caught up with the wolf on a clearing. They were still a hundred or more feet behind him, when the wind changed and carried their scent to the wolf. He turned back to them and he looked exactly like Brady. Same size, same build, same color. Just… he didn't seem to recognize them. He raised his hackles, flattened his ears and growled fiercely, like he was a normal wolf protecting his territory from intruding strangers. It was weird. He lunged forward and it looked like he was about to chase them away. Since he really looked like he could only be Brady himself or a clone, Chad phased back, hoping to calm him down with words. And Brady – or the wolf – recoiled. He ducked and his aggressive expression turned into one of fear! Like he never saw a shifter phase before! Chad addressed him, asked him if he was Brady and told him to give them a sign if he was. He said it would be okay if Brady wanted us out of his live, that we just wanted to know he was fine and then we'd leave him alone. But that wolf didn't show any sign that he even understood what Chad was saying. When Chad made a hesitative step towards him, he ran away."

"So… it was just a normal wolf who happened to look and smell like Brady?" Claire asked disbelieving.

"No, I don't think so. A normal wolf might look like Brady, but he could never reach his height. That was Brady's wolf body. I'm just not sure about the spirit who possesses it."

Silence followed his words as we all tried to grasp the meaning of his words. After a few minutes Sam shook his head.

"You mean a different spirit has possessed his body? Like Utlapa possessed Taha Aki's? But that's not possible. Brady would have had to leave his body. Nobody knows how to enter the Spirit World anymore."

Embry's phone buzzed.

"Jake."

"Hi, Embry. Carlisle has a theory."

"Okay. Shoot", Embry demanded skeptically.

"He's", Jake cleared his throat awkwardly, "He's been taking notes when Sam, Jared, Paul and Leah decided to stop phasing. On average, 49 days passed between their last phasing and the first signs of their aging. About 350 days passed between Brady's last back phasing and the day the mind connection broke. That's seven times as long."

"So?" Embry inquired confused.

"You know the saying that a dog's age multiplied by seven is his age in human years?"

"Yes", he prolonged the sound, still not knowing what Jake was getting at.

"Carlisle thinks that Brady might have stopped phasing and restarted aging, too, in the opposite way."

"But… that wouldn't explain his apparent loss of memory."

"Well, the brain of a wolf works differently from a human's."

"A bit, maybe, but they must have memories, too, right? He would remember his friends and phasing even if he can't understand English anymore."

"Yeah, well, it's just a theory."

"Does Carlisle also have an idea how to prove it?"

"No, not yet. I think… no matter if Brady is a wolf now or if his body is possessed by a different spirit, we won't be able to reverse it. We have to accept that he's gone."

Collin shook his head and mouthed a 'No'.

"What if Brady just hit his head very badly and lost his memory, including the knowledge that he is a shifter? And the mind connection broke because he doesn't remember that he's a member of the pack", Sam suggested, "maybe his memory will come back."

"Well, then we would notice that by the comeback of the mind connection. It still wouldn't change that we can't do anything about him", Jake replied.

"Yes, we could!" Kim gainsaid him, "People with amnesia have a greater chance to regain their memory in a familiar environment."

"So? How do you want to get Brady back into a familiar environment? Either he is a wolf or he thinks he's a wolf. He was on the verge of attacking Chad and Sky. He was afraid of Chad! He would never come with them willingly. What do you suggest, drug him and put him in a cage so that he could neither leave nor hurt anybody?" Jake asked.

"No, 'course not", Kim replied quietly.

"See? There's nothing we can do."

"Couldn't Edward try to read his mind? If it's just amnesia, he should be able to do so, shouldn't he?"

"Yes, we could try that. Embry, ask Chad for the exact location of Brady's territory and send it to Edward. And tell Chad that they can return. There's no use in making them stay any longer."

"Okay", Embry sighed. Jacob hung up and silence filled the room once more. Collin pushed his chair back abruptly and rushed out the back door.

"Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid, Aaron. Like running to Canada", Embry ordered, "Now, did you leave Simon and me anything to eat?"

Dave pushed the bowl with the leftover mulligan towards him.

"I'm starting to hate the month October", Leah said, "Did you notice that this is the third October in a row in which we lose somebody? Two years ago Brianna died, then last year Paul was killed and now we've lost Brady. All in bloody October."

"Language, Leah! The kids!" Kim scolded, aiming a glance at her sons, Leah's daughters and Emily's kids. Leah rolled her eyes.

"Don't get absorbed with the thought that October brings bad luck. That's just a coincident. Next year's October will be boringly uneventful", Embry said.

* * *

"Come on, please! Let me go, Embry!" Collin begged desperately.

"It's useless", Embry stated.

"It might not be! He's my best friend. Do you really suppose me to give up on him? I have to see it for myself. Please!"

"Well then", Embry said, "Do what you've got to do. But be back in three weeks tops."

Collin's face brightened up.

"Yes! Thank you, Em!"

He turned to leave.

"Collin", Embry held him back, "Be careful. He might attack you."

"Yeah, I know. I've defeated him before."

"Yes, in play fights. If he's going to attack this time, it will be serious. Even though you've always been one rank higher than him you should rather give in and behave submissive."

"I'll see."

"Collin! Brady is somewhat a wild wolf! He could kill you."

"I'm not that easily killed."

"There's nobody up there who could attend to serious injuries. If he breaks some bones of yours and they don't heal correctly…"

"Okay, I get it. I'll be careful."

* * *

"One false move and I'll torture you to death, I swear. You know, I'm running out of ideas how to torture you, but still you dare protect that pup and answer back when you're not allowed to. I'll try this, maybe that's what can finally break you."

Cora was hovering over me and started to trail her cold fingers along my abs. Chains had a hold on my wrists and ankles. They were so tight I couldn't move them an inch. My muscles were strained. Her icy touch left a stinging path on my skin.

"I must admit that you are quite hot and I don't mean your body temperature. I never had a werewolf…", she trailed off and her fingers wandered farther down. I broke out in a sweat and tore desperately at the chains. She closed her small hand around my dick and rubbed it. My body reacted without my permission. Her grip became tighter, painfully, and I couldn't help but whimper. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see what she did. A wave of relief flooded me when the coldness of her hand suddenly disappeared, but it was quickly replaced by something else. Obviously she didn't wear anything underneath her miniskirt and now she had lowered herself onto me. She was wet, which disgusted me. How could torturing me arouse her? Her nails dug deep into the skin of my chest, drawing blood from small wounds that healed immediately, but were painful nonetheless. She moaned with pleasure and I felt like gagging. She moved up and down and my breathing increased involuntarily together with the fire in my loins. Every time I was about to come, she stopped, teasing me, and replaced her vagina with her hand again to cause me pain.

I woke with a start, panting heavily. My sheets were soaked by my sweat and my hand trembled when I reached for the light switch to assure myself that I was at home and safe. I listened to Embry's steady breathing in the room next door. For once my nightmare hadn't woken him up. I switched the light off and tried to concentrate on Julia. I had run to Port Angeles at morning a few times this week and had watched her open the roller blind and get ready for school. Today was Friday and I would hopefully meet her in the afternoon.

Cora's face kept invading my thoughts. I checked the clock and decided to get up since I had only two hours left before my alarm would go off. I took a cold shower and went downstairs, where I got a few bagels from the kitchen and turned a movie on, hoping to distract myself. An hour later Embry joined me.

"Morning! Already awake?"

I nodded, "Yeah."

He slumped down next to me with a bowl of cereals in his hands.

"You look awful. Nightmare?"

"Yeah."

"I didn't hear anything", he said surprised.

"I woke up before the real pain started."

"Which one was it?"

My nightmares were always the same three dreams: one about Cora torturing me with different techniques, the next ever so slightly more painful than the previous; one about the rapes; and one about Cora torturing Dave. Dave had only been a wolf for a few days when the vampires had kidnapped both of us. He had submitted to them right from the start and had only been tortured when he had phased involuntarily or as the last instrument against my stubbornness. In reality, they had left him alone when I gave in. In the dream, I could beg and plead all I want, Cora never stopped.

"Rape."

"You're having that one more often lately, have you?"

Embry eyed me up. He was probably trying to identify the reason for that. The dream about the raping had always been dominant. Out of ten nightmares about four had been the rape, three Dave's torture and three my torture. In the past three weeks the ratio had changed to six, two, two. I wouldn't have thought that Embry would notice though.

"Are you journalizing my nightmares?"

"No. It just seemed like you'd given me the answer 'rape' more often recently."

Embry always asked what kind of dream I had had – if he hadn't already found out by himself, since I screamed my begs and pleads for Dave out loud while the other two dreams caused me to scream in pain without getting a single understandable word out. I didn't understand why Embry would care about the sort of dream. They all usually woke him and they all let me wake up sweating and panting and sometimes crying. There was no important difference to them.

"So what?" I asked a little annoyed.

"I don't know. Just thought… never mind. Maybe… you could to talk to Autumn about it."

I didn't answer. I would not talk to Autumn about it. Embry tried to read something into the changed ratio, but there was no psychological background to discover. It was just a bad dream.

"Alright", Embry sighed, "I've got to go. Have fun in Port Angeles today."

"Have fun at work."

"Yeah, certainly", Embry replied laughing sarcastically, "hiking with a bunch of teenagers who don't respect me because of my apparent young age is so much fun."

"Hey, nothing against class trips. You met Autumn on one."

Embry chuckled. While heading for the front door, he mumbled something that sounded a lot like, "Shades of Old Seth."

"What was that?" I asked.

"Oh, um, nothing."

"Sure", my voice dripped of sarcasm. The front door closed with a snap behind Embry.

* * *

_I'm going to keep the titles for now, but more opinions on that topic would be highly appreciated.  
_

_Next chapter on Wednesday!  
_

_Please review!  
_


	8. Chapter 7

_Thanks for the reviews, KittyPimms and WolvePackForever! Thank you for following, MistBlade8!_**  
**

_WolvePackForever, keep on telling me that, I can't read it often enough!  
_

_KittyPimms :) I kind of missed you already. You can find a title with the help of random generators? I wouldn't have thought that's possible. I like juggling with words until the result satisfies me, but it really isn't easy. I'm happy that I was able to increase your smypathy for Seth some more.  
_

* * *

**Was I selfish enough to destroy her life to save mine?**

At a quarter to three I parked our Black Ford Transit with the label of the _Wolf's Den_ on its sides right in front of _Reichenbach's_. I stayed seated for another minute trying to get a hold of my nervousness. I recalled Autumn's words. Most probably, Julia felt the imprint bond, too. She would want to be my friend. She would like me. I wasn't sure anymore if I should hope for her presence or for her absence in the bakery.

I took a deep breath and got out of the car. Taking another deep breath I entered the shop. The shop assistant stood behind the counter again. She looked up and smiled at me.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Clearwater! Mrs. Reichenbach-Finch is in the back. Just go through!"

She motioned to the back door. I hesitantly pushed the door open. Mrs. Reichenbach-Finch was kneading dough and Julia was working, too, but she had her back to me, so I couldn't see what she did. Isabella sat at a small table in a corner and enjoyed a muffin. Mrs. Reichenbach-Finch looked up when I entered.

"Ah, Seth, hello!"

"Hello Mrs. Reichenbach-Finch", I replied, stumbling over the German name and stopping in the doorway.

"Please, call me Silke. Reichenbach-Finch is such a mouthful! Come on in, don't be shy!"

"Hi Seth!" Julia turned to me with a wide smile.

"Hi Julia", I replied and struggled with an honest smile. I didn't want to fake smile, because I felt like lying to her by faking happiness. Then again I wanted to return her smile, because it was the polite thing to do and I wanted her to like me. I managed a small, probably barely noticeable smile and nodded at Isabella.

"Hey! I'm Izzy."

"Seth. Nice to meet you."

I think she wanted to reply something, but Silke beat her to it.

"You're a bit early and I'm afraid I'm running late. I had some unexpected trouble this morning. Do you mind waiting about three quarters of an hour?"

"No, that's okay."

Oh my God, I'd get to spend 45 minutes in the same room as my imprint! Again I wasn't sure if that was a reason to be happy or to be stressed.

"Thank you. Please, take a seat and help yourself. That plate is supposed to be empty at the end of this day."

Silke was referring to a plate of muffins and a few slices of different cakes that stood on the small table in the corner. I joined Izzy and decided to try the plum cake. From my new position I could see Julia better. She was assembling the different layers of what I assumed to be a Black Forest cake.

"I'm so sorry you've got to wait. I had to take one of our cats to the vet this morning and spent one hour in the waiting room. That knocked my schedule for today on the head", Silke rattled on.

"Never mind. What's wrong with the cat?"

"She got a rusty nail in her paw and wouldn't let us remove it. The vet had to anaesthetize her."

"Is she fine now?"

"Yes, hopefully. We've got to watch the wound to make sure that it doesn't become inflamed."

"Do you like cats?" Julia asked curiously.

"Well, I like animals, but I'm more the dog person."

"Do you have one?"

"No."

"Why not?"

Because dogs tended to be afraid of us – I couldn't tell her that of course.

"No time. So, how many cats do you have?"

"Three. Two females and a tomcat. We brought the females from Germany. They're Ronja Räubertochter and Schneeweißchen. That would be Ronia the Robber's Daughter and Snow-White in English. And the tomcat's name is Aramis."

"Snow-White as in Snow-White and the seven dwarfs?"

"No, it's from another fairy tale. In German the names are different. Snow-White from the tale with the seven dwarfs is called Schnee_witt_chen. Our cat and the other fairy-tale figure are called Schnee_weiß_chen. Have you ever heard of Snow-White and Rose-Red?"

"No."

Julia started to decorate the cake with dollops of whipped cream and continued.

"Snow-White and Rose-Red are sisters and they are the good ones of the tale. Snow-White is more quiet than Rose-Red and likes to stay at home, while Rose-Red is adventurous. Our cat used to have a sister, too. Like the fairy tale sisters Schneeweißchen is quiet, shy and a homebody while Rosenrot was open and loved to prowl around the neighborhood. One day she didn't come home from one of her trips and we never found her again. Ronja is a lot like Rosenrot. She was also the one with the rusty nail this morning."

Silke had put the dough away, had washed her hands and handed me some papers now.

"That's the contract and the cake list. Have a look on the list and tell me which ones you want for next week."

I scanned the list, but Izzy disturbed me.

"You're quite young for a restaurant owner, and a successful one to boot. How did you get so far?"

"Well, it's always been my sister's and my dream to have a restaurant and we were lucky enough to have wealthy friends who wanted to fund us. We have another friend who is an excellent cook and administered most of the recipes. So... a lot of luck has been involved."

"Your parents must be proud."

"Yeah, Mom always says if we add another success to the list she'll literally burst with pride."

"What does she do?"

"She's a nurse and a tribal elder."

"And your father?"

"Izzy!" Julia hissed, "I told you his father is dead!"

Isabella blushed.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I forgot."

"Never mind. It's been a long time and I know he'll always be with me."

"How did he die?" Julia asked softly.

"Heart attack. What about yours?"

I looked her in the eyes. Although last time we had talked about her father she had seemed nonchalant and had claimed that she didn't miss him because she didn't remember him, she seemed stressed now.

"Murder", she replied quietly. From the corner of my eye I could see Silke wipe her eyes and I regretted asking.

"I'm so sorry. Did they catch the murderer?"

"No. The police didn't find a single clue. They suspected a psychopath who wanted to play vampire, because my Dad was found exsanguinous and he had a bite mark on his neck."

I choked on a piece of cake.

"The strange thing is that whoever made that mark should have left saliva with his DNA in and around the wound, but there was just a strange, unidentifiable liquid."

Vampire venom, I'd bet.

"It must be horrible to know that the person who killed your husband is still on the loose", I said to Silke.

"The first year was the worst. I always feared he'd come back for Julia and me. My mind refused to believe that my husband was a random victim. But it's easier now. Especially since I found Chris – Julia's stepfather. How about your mother? Is she still grieving or did she manage to move on?"

"She moved on. She remarried, too."

"That's good."

"Do you have any step-siblings?" Julia asked.

"Yeah, a stepsister. But she doesn't live here anymore."

"But do you get along?"

"Yes, we do. Leah doesn't, mostly because she doesn't like her husband. But, well, I didn't like Leah's husband either and I still managed to stay close to Leah. Must be a girl thing."

Julia, Izzy and Silke chuckled.

"Do you get along with your stepbrother, Julia?" I asked. She stared at me, surprised.

"You remember that I have a stepbrother?"

I remembered every word she had said. Telling her that would seem creepy though. So I just shrugged.

"We get along very well. He's quite protective of me, which can be annoying sometimes."

Izzy laughed.

"Yeah, Ben broke Andy's nose once. It's a pity Andy didn't leave you alone regardless."

Julia rolled her eyes. She had put the finished cake into a box and now she sat down next to me, which made my skin tingle.

"Well, contrary to Ben, Andy managed to keep Joshua at bay. So stop picking on him!"

"Julia, come on, that's a very weak pro for him. You replaced bullying with beating and although that's better than bullying _and_ beating, I'd prefer bullying if I were you!"

"Izzy, if you don't stop questioning our relationship, you'll tick me off! Drop it, okay?"

"Julia, why don't you get that we're just concerned? Your mother, your brother and your best friend think he's no good for you. Doesn't that give you something to think about?" her mother intervened.

Julia seemed to boil.

"Who's Joshua?" I asked in an attempt to change the subject. Julia shot me a grateful glance.

"He's a class mate and he's Jewish. His great-grandparents fled from Hitler's regime to America. And some great-granduncles and –aunts of him have been killed in concentration camps. His family still loathes Germans, so Joshua loathes me."

"And he bullies you? For a crime that's been committed generations before ours?"

"Yes. He just calls me names though. And Andy made him stop."

I hated Joshua nonetheless. Silke took a cake out of the stove and put it into a box. She added two other boxes from the fridge and the box with the Black Forest Cake.

"Well, Seth, here are your cakes."

I got up.

"Thank you. And thanks also for the free cake. Can I call you on Monday to appoint next week's cakes? We would like to see how this weekend is going before we make a decision."

"Sure, no problem."

Julia jumped up.

"I'll help you carry the cakes to your car."

"Thanks. See you, Silke. Bye Izzy."

"Have a safe journey home, Seth. Say hi to your sister", Silke replied.

"Sure, thanks."

Isabella waved and I picked up two of the boxes. Silke held the door open for us and Julia followed me out to the Transit. After stowing the boxes safely inside the van, I worked up the courage to ask Julia, "Are you here every Friday?"

She smiled and her eyes sparkled.

"Not always, but very often. Andy's with me a lot, though. He doesn't like you very much."

"That's mutual, I guess. You know, I used to have a friend with anger issues. He was a good guy though, very loyal to his friends. Although he could be quite violent, he never hurt the love of his life."

Julia sighed.

"Please, not you as well."

"Sorry. You really love Andy, don't you? Is he the love of your life?"

"I'm not sure. He's my first love so I don't really have anything to compare it to. You said you used to have a friend…what happened to him?"

"He died one year ago."

"I'm sorry. How did he die?"

I shifted my weight uneasily.

"I'll tell you one day, just not today."

She eyed me seriously.

"That's alright. We barely know each other after all."

"I'd like to know you better", I said looking down self-consciously.

"Seth… You know I'm with Andy, right? Mom, Izzy, Ben and you can say all you want, but that's not going to change anything as long as I can help it."

I looked up again.

"I know. You misunderstood me. I just want to be your friend."

"Oh. Do you have a girlfriend then?"

"No, I haven't. Do I have to have one to be allowed to be your friend?"

"No", Julia laughed, "you don't. I'd like to get to know you, too. Just as friends."

My heart jumped and I felt myself smiling an effortless, honest smile. I needed a few seconds to decipher the strange, unfamiliar warm feeling in my chest. It was happiness, mixed with hope. I couldn't help the tears that threatened to fill my eyes and I quickly hugged Julia so that she wouldn't see them.

"I've got to go. But I'm looking forward to seeing you again."

She hugged me back after a short moment of surprise.

"Yeah, me too. I'll try to keep Andy away from the shop on Fridays."

I had fought back the tears and pulled away from her.

"Thanks. See you!"

"See you."

I got in the Transit and Julia waved while I pulled out of the parking lot. A few hundred feet further on I had to pull over as I tore up again. I couldn't believe my luck. I didn't deserve her friendship. And she deserved a normal happy life without a friend whose soul was troubled and who was a shape-shifter and who would inevitably pull her into the dangerous supernatural world of vampires and wolves. I'd better not befriend her. Then again, she had made me smile. She had made me happy. The question was: Was I selfish enough to destroy her life to save mine? Selflessness had broken my soul, because I wouldn't have ever phased back and allowed Cora to rape me if she hadn't tortured Dave. Wasn't it just fair to be selfish in order to heal my soul?

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_I love the final part at the Transit. What about you? Please review!  
_

_Next update on Friday!_


	9. Chapter 8

_Thank you, EliseInWonderland247, WolvePackForever and KittyPimms, for your reviews!_**  
**

_KittyPimms, I love cats, though I don't have any myself. Shame on me for hurting Ronja! Seems like I can't help but make people and animals I love suffer in my stories. Yeah, Julia needs to open her eyes. Sadly, her behavior is not uncommon. There are a lot of women out there who suffer from domestic abuse but stick to their boyfriend/husband nonetheless.  
_

_Thank you for following, Holliday Girl and BIGballofrubberbands!  
_

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**Standing by my decision to not destroy my imprint's life**

In the evening I voluntarily occupied the bar to keep the others from asking questions about my newest encounter with my imprint. I had made my decision and I knew no-one would approve of it. An imprint always came first to anything else, even your own demands, so I had to be selfless when it concerned her. That meant I couldn't bother her with my trouble and I couldn't allow her to get involved in the supernatural world. Next Friday I would tell her that we couldn't be friends.

Although I knew it was the best for her, the decision had hurt. Somehow I had the feeling that she was my only chance to ever recover, ever be happy again. I was desperate. Knowing that I'd probably never feel it again, the memory of the short moment of happiness from today's afternoon was hard to bear. I was even more miserable than usual and I didn't get any better the next days. I even thought about suicide again, though I quickly dropped the idea. I'd rather live my life in misery than submit to a dead Cora.

Of course my friends noticed the change in my mood. On Sunday morning there was a soft knock at my door, which was being opened cautiously right afterwards. Autumn poked her head in and whispered, "You awake?"

"Yeah", I replied and sat up in bed. Autumn pushed the door further open and balanced a cram-full tray to my bed. She put it down cautiously and went to close the door before she came back and sat down on the edge of my mattress. I gawked at the breakfast in front of me. The tray held a plate with a high pile of pancakes and another with enough bacon and sunny side up eggs to feed a whole family.

"Thank you, Autumn! What have I done to deserve this?"

"Everyone deserves a nice breakfast in bed from time to time", she shrugged and avoided my gaze. Clearly there was another reason.

"Are you going to watch me eat?"

"Would you mind?"

"No, it's okay. Have you already eaten?" I asked and stuffed my face with delicious bacon.

"Yep. I ate with Embry."

I enjoyed my meal silently, trying not to rack my brains over Autumn's purpose of this. She stayed silent for a long time. Only when I had finished off all the food did she start to speak again.

"What's the matter, Seth? What happened on Friday?"

Her voice was soft and compassionate.

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me. I can see – we all can see – that you're worse although we supposed you to be better."

"That's because you don't understand. I'm never going to be better."

"How shall I understand if you don't tell me what happened? Was I wrong? Did she reject you?"

"I don't want to talk about Julia, Autumn."

She sighed and looked at me sadly.

"Was that a yes?"

"No. That was a 'I don't want to talk about her'."

"Why? What happened?"

Autumn was starting to annoy me. She knew I hated it when she pressed me too hard. She hated it herself when someone pressed her too hard.

"Please, Autumn, drop it."

"I won't. Not this time. Do you know how that is for us? Seeing you miserable all the time? Hoping for you to learn to be happy again with your imprint and then realizing that meeting your imprint worsened your condition and not knowing why? We want you to get better. We want you to be happy. Seeing you hurt hurts us. It has hurt every single day of this year. And when Julia came around, I thought I had seen the first signs of your recovery."

"You must have imagined these signs", I replied rudely, although I knew she hadn't.

"What went wrong, Seth? If she rejected you, we could try to help you get her to like you, you know. You shouldn't give up because of one setback."

I grunted.

"Autumn, why don't you get it? I don't want to talk about it!"

"But…", I cut her off.

"No! Just leave, okay!?"

"Seth…"

"Leave!" I growled and she jumped up. Her eyes were wide with fear and I instantly regretted my outburst. I had been upset and annoyed with her before, but I had never ever growled at her.

"Fine", she huffed and rushed out of my room, slamming the door behind her.

"I'm sorry", I whispered although it was too late. I flinched when I heard Autumn sob downstairs.

"Autumn! What's wrong? It's about Seth, isn't it?" Embry asked her.

I buried my face in my hands. I probably had just lost the only person I could talk to.

"He growled at me", she cried.

"What?" Embry exclaimed and I heard him rushing upstairs.

"No, Embry, don't!" Autumn called after him and her light steps followed him up the wooden staircase. My door burst open and I was prepared for everything. Embry approached me with an angry scowl.

"You ungrateful bastard!" he yelled and punched me right in the face. I heard the breaking of my nose and winced. Despite the pain I quickly readjusted my nose so that it wouldn't heal in the wrong way. Autumn had been hard on Embry's heels and had gasped when he punched me.

"That wasn't necessary, Embry!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, it was", he argued. "He deserved it and he knows that. His condition can't excuse everything."

I looked up at her tear-stained face.

"I'm so sorry, Autumn. I didn't mean to growl."

"It's alright. I'm sorry I pressed so hard."

"That's okay. I know you just wanted to help. I just don't want to be helped right now."

Embry still glared at me. Autumn smiled sadly and nodded.

"All right. If you change your mind… well, you know where to find me."

I nodded and Autumn started dragging Embry to the door. Before she left my room herself she turned back to me.

"Would you tell me just one thing? Did you keep your promise?"

"Yes, I did. I talked to her."

"Good. Would you promise me something else?"

"Probably not."

"Please. You can't give up on her already. Promise to try again."

"I can't."

"At least think about it."

She didn't wait for another answer, but left me alone with my misery and closed the door behind her.

* * *

On Wednesday we got news from Collin. He had found Brady – or at least the wolf that seemed to be him. Brady didn't recognize him, nor did he react in any way to the photo of Brianna that Collin showed him. He wanted to chase Collin away like he had wanted with Chad and Sky and Collin had ducked and whined submissively, begging him in wolf language to let him stay, which he had done reluctantly. Collin had hoped that when they formed a pack of two, he might get a mind connection to him. Every other wolf who had left a pack to join another only had had to decide on it in order to lose the connection to his old pack and gain a connection to the new one. Despite Collin's decision to leave us and join Brady, the mind connection to us remained while the one to Brady remained broken. Meanwhile Edward had gone to see Brady, too, and he hadn't been able to hear his thoughts either. Nevertheless Collin still didn't want to give up. He wanted to stay with Brady for a while, hoping that his memory or human spirit or whatever had gone missing would come back.

Although my friends seemed to have understood that I wouldn't answer any questions, I kept on working in the evening rather than dining with them, because even when they kept their mouths shut, I still had to undergo the looks in their eyes. There was sadness, pity, hopelessness, confusion and also lack of understanding. I also avoided being alone with Autumn so that she couldn't get a chance to start her questioning again.

My nightmares got worse as Cora started to tease me that I'd be alone and miserable forever, but I stayed true to myself, which meant remaining selfless and standing by my decision to not destroy my imprint's life.

So here I was, sitting in the Transit in front of the bakery on Friday at three o'clock sharp, trying to prepare myself for what I was about to do. Deciding to stay away from her – as much as the contract with her mother allowed – had been remotely easy. Actually acting on it by telling her that we couldn't be friends would be so much harder. It would hurt to say it, because it would finalize my abstinence from regaining some happiness with her. And it might hurt her, too, which would hurt me even more. I had to hurt her this one time to spare her the sorrow I would bring to her life as well as the fearsome knowledge that vampires actually existed. So I had to stay strong. Whatever she said or did wouldn't affect my decision. With that mantra in my head I entered the bakery.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Clearwater!"

The shop assistant's constant cheerfulness and politeness already started to annoy me. Would she greet me like that every Friday?

"Please, call me Seth. What's your name by the way?"

"Susan", she beamed.

I nodded at her and went straight through to the back. I was surprised to only find Julia there.

"Hi", she beamed as well. Why did everyone have to be so cheerful today?

"Hi", I said flatly. "Where's your mom?"

"She didn't feel well so she went home when I came. Your cakes are already ready, but you can stay, if you like. Do you want some cake?"

"No, thanks. I'll just get the cakes and leave."

"Oh", her face fell disappointed, "I thought you could keep me company for a little while."

"Susan can do that just as fine as I could, I'm sure."

"Well, but she has to stay in the shop to care for the customers while I have work to do in here. But if you're in a hurry…", she trailed off.

"Yeah, sorry. So, where are the cakes?"

She opened the fridge and handed me two boxes. She took two boxes herself.

"I'll help you carry them to your car again."

"Thanks."

Oh my God, I couldn't tell her. But I had to. It wouldn't get easier if I delayed it until next week.

"Everything okay?" she asked me softly.

I swallowed. She was already able to notice when something bothered me, although she barely knew me.

"No, actually not."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Well, actually I wanted to tell you something."

We reached the Transit and I opened the rear door.

"Okay. Shoot."

I put the boxes down and stowed hers away as well before I spoke up again. I shoved my hands in my jean pockets and looked down.

"Julia… I – I'm sorry…", she frowned, "but we can't be friends."

Her frown deepened.

"What?" she asked stunned.

"I'm sorry", I muttered again and rushed to the front door.

"Seth, wait!" Julia called, but I ignored her and pulled out of the parking lot with screeching tires. Fighting against the tears once more I raced back to La Push. I was lucky there weren't any speed cameras today and I was even luckier that I wasn't a breakable human. It was pouring and the road was slippery. With the rain and my tears I couldn't see clearly. I took a turn too quickly and veered off the road. I had completely lost control over the car and it aimed directly at a tree. The force of the crash let me fly through the windshield. My shoulder grazed the tree and I heard something break, though I didn't feel any pain at that moment. Then everything went black.

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_You're lucky that this cliffy came up on a Friday, because that means that you'll get the next chapter already tomorrow!_

_Please review!  
_


	10. Chapter 9

_What, not a single review for last chapter? Come on, guys, I know it was a Friday night, but you can't all have gone out, because I had the usual amount of visitors. You can't leave me hanging like that. I need some motivation to continue writing!_**  
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**We're living in two different worlds**

When I woke up again, my head and right shoulder hurt like hell. There were distant voices.

"…tried … kill himself?"

"No… smart enough… know … car accident… wouldn't kill…"

I struggled against the dizziness in my head. It had to be working, because the voices became clearer.

"Why has he been driving so fast? He always drives properly!"

That was Mom. She sobbed. I tried harder to gain full consciousness. I wanted to tell her that I'd be fine. She shouldn't be crying because of me.

"He's having a tough time", Autumn said, "He won't tell me, but I think his imprint rejects him. If she did so again today, he must have been quite agitated."

No, they shouldn't blame Julia. It was my entire fault. Finally my eyelids obeyed and opened themselves.

"He's awake!" Embry exclaimed and Mom and Autumn turned to look at me with relieved expressions.

"I'll get Kim", he added and left the small hospital room. Mom took my hand and smiled weakly at me. A tear ran down her cheek.

"Please don't cry", I pleaded.

"You scared me", she whispered.

"I'm sorry."

Embry came back with Kim on his coat-tails. She checked the displays of the machines around me and asked, "How are you feeling, Seth?"

"My head and my shoulder hurt."

"You have a serious concussion and you broke your collarbone and upper arm and your shoulder has been dislocated. The bones healed in the wrong places, so we had to rebreak them. I'm afraid I can't ease your pain with pain killers because your system would burn them quicker than they can start to be effective. You won't have to suffer long, though. In a few hours everything will be healed, I think."

"Okay. Did someone get the supplies to the restaurant?"

Mom rolled her eyes.

"Even in hospital after an accident that would have killed any human all you can think about is the Den?"

"The weekend would be a disaster without the supplies."

"Don't worry, Claire cared for that."

"Good. What about the Transit?"

"Well, what do you think? Write-off."

"Shit", I groaned.

"It's just a car, honey. The main thing is that you're okay."

"I'm fine, Mom. I'm indestructible."

"You're neither fine nor indestructible, honey. Is it true that your imprint rejects you? And why don't I know that you've imprinted?"

I huffed.

"It's not important."

"I beg your pardon!? Of course it is important! It's the best news since Leah found out she could still have kids!" Mom smiled widely.

"Contrary to Leah who lost the last bits of her bitterness back then, I will not lose my misery. I'm stuck with it forever. If you can't stand it anymore, just tell me and I'll leave. Canada seems nice from what I saw in Brady's mind."

She looked crestfallen.

"No, Seth, I would never want you to leave! I would like you to be happy, for your own sake and not mine. I thought an imprint might be able to make you happy."

"Well, sorry, but that won't happen."

"Why? Does she reject you?"

"No, she doesn't. I'm tired and my head hurts like hell. I'd rather sleep now, Mom."

"Okay", she replied quietly, "Get well. I love you."

"Love you too", I mumbled and closed my eyes. Mom squeezed my hand which she had still been holding and gave me a kiss on the forehead. She then ushered everyone out of the room.

I had to stay in hospital until the next morning. Leah came to pick me up.

"Embry and I agreed that you should take a rest. No patrolling and no working until Monday. Recover, do what you want", she told me on the ride home.

"What if I want to work or patrol?"

"Well, we can't forbid you, or at least I can't, Embry could. Just give it a break. Get your mind off the everyday worries. Relax."

"I don't need a break. I need distraction."

"Then distract yourself with something else. Read a book, experiment in the kitchen, play video games or go cliff diving with the other guys or just watch TV."

So I spent Saturday at home, cleaning the house and clearing the drain in the half bath that had been blocked for weeks. In the evening I made myself spaghetti. Embry had tried to get me to the Den, but if they wanted me to rest, I'd take a break from my friend's solicitousness, too. I had a lot of time to think. Cleaning and cooking distracts the hands, but not the mind. Of course my thoughts were preoccupied with Julia. Thinking about her and me and our future was painful, so I switched to thinking about Andy and her. That was painful, too, but at least there was a chance that they broke up some day. I tried to see the positive things: Julia obviously loved him. She didn't seem like the kind of girl that would be too afraid to dump her aggressive boyfriend. She really wanted to be with him and defended his issues against her mother's and best friend's concerns. She seemed happy with him and that was what I wanted her to be. However, if he ever hurt her badly, like fit for the hospital badly, I'd kill him.

I also thought about my future. I was sure I couldn't go on like this. The longer I continued phasing, the longer my miserable life would drag on. If I stopped phasing, I wouldn't get the satisfaction to kill vampires anymore and I'd still have half a century to live. Half a century with haunting memories. But I might have another possibility. If Carlisle's theory concerning Brady was correct, then I could stay a wolf and in one year I wouldn't even recognize Cora if someone showed me a photo. It was worth a try, wasn't it? The question now was: Could I square leaving Julia completely to herself with my conscience? It was my duty to protect her and although I had rejected a friendship with her, I still had to care for her safety, especially as long as she was with Andy. I delayed the decision. A few days or even weeks more or less wouldn't kill me.

On Sunday I visited Mom and Charlie for breakfast. Visiting them was always some kind of fleeing the supernatural world for a short while. Charlie still knew no more than what was absolutely necessary about us and about vampires. Talking about the supernatural wasn't exactly a taboo in the Swan household, but it was frowned upon. Luckily Mom didn't mention my accident again, nor did she bring up Julia. Instead, she asked a lot of questions about the restaurant.

When I came home at noon, I already heard the noise from the driveway. Music and laughter told me that Embry and Autumn weren't alone. For a moment I pondered about leaving again and spending the day somewhere else. But I was supposed to stay away from the Den and it just started raining, so the beach wasn't an option either. Sighing, I entered the house.

"Seth!" Cory cheered, "You're just in time for a game of Trivial Pursuit!"

Besides him, Embry and Autumn, there was Cory's imprint Olivia, Quil, Claire, Lennie and his imprint Ava. It was a gathering of the High School aged imprints and their wolves.

"No, thanks, Cory. There's no way I'd join a group of couples."

"All right, but… come to the Den tonight, okay? We're a bit concerned that you're starting to isolate yourself again. I promise that we'll treat you like you'd never imprinted. Please come."

I was surprised that Cory would say that. He had stopped phasing three years ago, but even when he had still been part of the pack we had never been close. Though of course we were one big family and cared for each other, I wouldn't have thought him to be so concerned about me.

"I wasn't planning on isolating myself. I'll come."

"Great!" Cory replied and everyone beamed. I went to my room and tried to zone out the chatter from downstairs. I searched the internet for a cheap, adequate replacement of the Transit without success. Two hours later I was updating the Den's website when the doorbell rang. I pricked up my ears because our usual visitors wouldn't even bother with knocking, let alone ringing.

"Hi", I froze at the sound of Julia's voice, "I'm searching for Seth Clearwater. Does he live here?"

"Yes, he does", Embry answered, "come on in. You must be Julia. I'm Embry, Seth's room mate."

"Nice to meet you. So, is Seth at home?"

"Yeah, he is. Seth!" he yelled the last part.

"Send her away. I don't want to see her", I replied in a normal volume, knowing that unlike her he would hear me well.

"Hmm, seems like he didn't hear me. Maybe he's listening to loud music. Why don't you just go upstairs? His room is the last one on the left side."

My eyes widened and I cursed. What did he think to ignore my wish completely?

"Are you sure? I don't want to disturb him or intrude his privacy. Are you sure he's not sleeping or, well, uh, naked?" Julia worried. Embry chuckled.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Maybe he's shirtless, but that would be all. And he's definitely not sleeping."

"Embry!" I groaned.

I heard two steps on the stairs before he held her back.

"Hey, Julia. We're having a games afternoon. Feel free to join us later on. Maybe you can get Seth to join, too."

I groaned again, louder this time.

"Yeah, sure, thanks."

I shut my laptop and turned around when my door opened after a knock to which I didn't respond. The laughter and chatter downstairs had died down and they had even turned the music down. I wondered if Julia was aware of that. She couldn't know that there were four men with supernatural hearing in the living room that were now listening carefully to our conversation. I put on an indifferent expression.

"Hi Seth", she smiled nervously.

"Hi."

This one syllable turned out colder than I wanted it to be and she flinched slightly.

"I-I'm sorry for barging in like this. Your friend said it would be okay…" she trailed off.

"Well, what do you want? How do you even know where I live?"

"I went to the restaurant first. Your sister gave me your address. Can we talk?"

I shrugged.

"Close the door", I requested and turned on some music, "and speak in a hushed tone."

She obeyed with a confused expression on her beautiful face.

"This house has ears and my friends can be quite nosy."

"Oh, okay", she lowered her voice, "um, I know you said we couldn't be friends and I tried to accept that but you wouldn't leave my thoughts since you drove away. Plus, I'm confused. Last week I thought you really wanted to befriend me and that it meant a lot to you. This Friday you were suddenly distant and you didn't even give me a reason why you'd changed your mind. So, would you mind to explain?"

"It's better for you to stay away from me."

"Why?" she frowned.

"I'm no good."

"What, are you a junkie, an alcoholic, a criminal or something like that?"

"No."

"Then why are you bad?"

"Trust me. You don't want to be my friend."

"But I do! And I won't accept your rejection as long as you don't give me convincing reasons!"

Was my imprint really here to fight for our friendship which hadn't really existed yet?

"I'm a troubled guy and that makes me difficult to handle. Just ask my friends downstairs. You need a lot of patience and clemency to deal with me. I cause a lot of distress and sorrow. I'm not very talkative, I'm cantankerous and I don't even know how to smile properly. I'm a burden you don't want to bear."

"That's my decision, isn't it? I already knew you were troubled. I don't know what happened to you and I don't expect you to tell me anytime soon. My cousin back in Germany went to the army and came back broken. So I know what to expect from a friendship with you. His friends played a huge role in his recovering and I would like to help you recover. I can tell that you used to laugh a lot. Your face looks like it's made to laugh. Am I right? Have you been a cheerful person?"

"I'll never be like that again."

"No, certainly not. But you might be able to regain some happiness and the ability to smile properly. I want to help you with that."

"Why? You don't even know me, neither my old self nor my current self. Why bother with a stranger's problems?"

"Because – you can call me smug – to me it looked like I could really help you a lot, more than most random persons could. You know, the way you reacted when I said we could be friends. For a second you actually looked happy and not only that, you looked overjoyed. I really want to be your friend. You seem like a good guy. Though I don't know you very well, I like what I've seen so far. You're caring, polite, brave, kind…"

I had a lump in my throat. Why did she have to make it so difficult?

"I'm sorry, Julia. Seriously, you should stay away from me. If you got close to me you would inevitably get involved with a bad world. You're better off staying in your world."

She frowned again.

"A bad world? My world? Really? Come on, you're just making up excuses now! At least tell me the truth why you don't want to be my friend anymore! Did you realize that you actually wanted to be more than friends?"

"No! It's not that. Like I said… we're living in two different worlds."

"There's only one world! You stated earlier that you weren't involved with drugs or crimes. I can't imagine anything else that would be bad."

"Yes, it's something that's beyond your imagination. I can't tell you because telling you would mean involving you and I really don't want you living with this knowledge. You've got to trust me. We can't be friends."

She crossed her arms and glared slightly.

"Fine. I'll go then. But I won't give up yet."

She had already reached the door when she turned back to me again.

"You don't mind me joining your friends downstairs, do you? I don't want to have come all the way down here without achieving anything. Embry seemed like a nice guy. Maybe he wants to be my friend."

My chest contracted painfully.

"I'd rather you left, but since Embry invited you to stay I can't make you leave, I guess."

"Exactly", her voice became softer, "Goodbye, Seth. Please, think again if you really don't want to be my friend. Because I would love to. Honestly."

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_Next update on Monday! _

_Reviews cheer me up! I _need_ them to get through the stressful time of studying for finals! So, please, review!  
_


	11. Chapter 10

_Woohoo! That's what I call a nice amount of reviews. Thank you so much WolvePackForever, KittyPimms, Holliday Girl and EliseInWonderland247! Thanks also for the good wishes for my finals :)**  
**_

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**Fate had to be cruel**

Julia went downstairs and I heard my friends welcoming her kindly.

"We're playing Monopoly, but we'll be finished with that one soon. Do you mind having to watch until it's finished?" Claire asked.

"No, that's okay."

"Please help yourself with the snacks", Autumn offered, "What would you like to drink?"

"Um, coke?"

"Alright."

Autumn went to the kitchen and returned with what I assumed was a glass of coke. Julia thanked her.

"Ha!" Ava exclaimed, "Now I'm having you, Len! 2000 $, please! You're bankrupt."

"Ugh, damn!"

"Don't get too self-confident, Ava. Even with a hotel on the Boardwalk you can't win against me", Embry said confident of victory.

"We'll see."

Apparently only the two of them had remained in the game.

"So, Seth wouldn't come down?" Quil asked.

"No. Well, I didn't really ask him. We had an argument."

"What happened on Friday?" Lennie wanted to know.

"Shut it, Lennie", Embry intervened before Julia had a chance to answer, "If Seth doesn't want us to know we should accept that."

"Why are you asking? Has he been different when he came home on Friday?" Julia asked.

"He crashed his car", Lennie answered.

"What? He had an accident? Is he okay? He looked fine to me…" Julia seemed alarmed.

"He's okay. He was lucky", Autumn replied.

"Do you like him?" Olivia asked excitedly.

"Well, yes, I think I do. Don't get me wrong, I don't have a crush on him. But I'd like to become his friend… if he'd only let me."

For a few seconds it was deadly silent downstairs.

"What do you mean? Did he tell you he didn't want to be friends?" Cory asked flabbergasted.

"Yes. That's what happened Friday, actually."

"Don't take it personally", Autumn soothed, "he hasn't made any new friends in one year. Although we actually thought you'd be different."

"Is that the time he's been like this? One year?"

There wasn't an audible answer to that so I assumed someone nodded.

"How has he been before he became troubled?"

I had actually thought she'd ask them what had happened to me.

"He was nothing like he is today. You wouldn't have recognized him even though he still looks the same. He was a happy-go-lucky guy. He always smiled, laughed a lot and talked much more. He was self-confident and he was always able to cheer us up when we were down", Embry explained. It hurt to hear the sorrow in his voice.

"Do you miss him? The Seth he used to be?"

"Every day."

The lump in my throat became larger.

"Stop talking about me", I demanded hoarsely, "you know I can hear every word."

"Did he tell you what happened?" Cory asked incredulously, ignoring my demand, "because you don't seem curious at all about what made him become the man he is today."

"No, he didn't tell me. I am curious, sure, but I want to hear it from him, even if it takes years before he trusts me enough and even if he never tells me because he sticks to not wanting to be my friend anymore."

"Did he explain why he didn't want to be?" Autumn asked.

"Yeah, sort of. He said I wouldn't want to be his friend because of his troubled soul; that he's difficult to handle and not a fun guy to be around. I told him I didn't mind, but then he came up with something like he doesn't want me getting involved in his world. I should stay in my world. Any idea what he meant with that? Cause I don't understand."

Ugh, how did I get them to stop talking about me? I quickly decided that there was only one way. I rushed downstairs. If I was with them, they wouldn't dare talk about me anymore.

"Seth!" Quil exclaimed, "Have you changed your mind? Are you joining us?"

"Since you wouldn't shut up otherwise, yes", I muttered.

"Great! Embry, Ava, hurry up now. We want to go on to the next game."

Julia smiled at me with a hint of sadness, while everyone else beamed at me. Of course they had to seat me next to Julia.

"All right, I give up", Ava announced, "Embry's the winner."

"As always", Claire added frustrated.

Embry chuckled.

"Okay, which game's next?" Lennie asked.

"How about Truth or Dare?" Olivia suggested and looked directly at me. I glared at her and shook my head slightly. Clearly she already knew exactly what she'd ask me. If I chose dare I probably had to kiss Julia. If I chose truth I'd have to say that I actually wanted to be her friend or something like that.

"Yes, why not!" Cory agreed and Lennie and Ava approved as well, though they seemed oblivious to Olivia's ulterior motive. Embry glanced at me.

"No", he decided firmly, "Let's play something else…Taboo?"

I shot him a grateful glance. Olivia glared at him and Ava was clearly disappointed, too, but everyone except Julia knew that it was an Alpha decision nobody should argue against.

We split into two teams, boys against girls, and played Taboo. Julia was smart. She guessed more words correctly than any other girl although English wasn't even her mother tongue. The girls won the game.

"You should come more often, Julia! Usually we lose", Olivia laughed.

"I'd love to! I'm having a lot of fun with you guys."

I groaned inwardly. This day turned out to be worse and worse. No matter what I did, fate seemed determined to drag my imprint into the supernatural world. Or was it rather determined to drag her into my life? Some of the other imprint couples had claimed that they were destined to be together. Were our imprints not only our soul mates, but our destiny, our fate? Had my plan to stay out of her life been doomed right from the start? If that was the case, fate had to be cruel. Julia deserved a normal life, in which vampires only existed in movies and as unidentified, never found murderers.

"Seth! Hey, are you okay?"

Julia's question pulled me out of my immersion.

"Yeah, I'm good. I was just lost in thoughts."

"What's the clock? My stomach says it's dinner time", Embry announced. Julia glanced at her watch appalled.

"Oh my God! I've got to go. I'm already going to be late for dinner."

"Call home and say you're having dinner here", Autumn suggested, "Or do you have a date with your boyfriend?"

Julia bit her bottom lip waveringly.

"No, I don't have a date. Um, well, if one more eater doesn't cause any inconvenience…", she looked at me in particular.

"One more eater is no problem. We're eating at the Den", Embry assured.

"Oh, but I don't have any money with me."

I sighed and pulled myself together.

"You're invited of course", I said matter-of-factly. My pack mates paid Leah and me a flat rate of 40 Dollar a week per adult and 20 per kid, because offering free dinner for 21 adults and 7 kids every day would ruin us quickly otherwise. Considering that there were 15 shape-shifters among the group who ate a lot more than normal humans, 40 Dollar was still a special prize that often didn't even cover our expenses for the pack food.

"Thanks", Julia smiled at me, "I'll call my Mom then."

She went into the hall to make the call in a quieter environment. Embry approached me and patted my shoulder.

"Way to go! You'd be a fool if you rejected her. She's great. As for your concern about involving her in the supernatural world – being your imprint already makes her part of it. Think about how much better you could protect her if you two were close. And you _know_ that she's good for you, don't you."

"She's too good for me", I mumbled. Embry rolled his eyes.

"Rubbish! By the way, do you mind riding with her to the Den? We've got only two cars here."

I glared at him. Clearly he could have told someone else to ride with Julia. Autumn, for example, got along quite well with her during the game. And it wasn't like nine persons couldn't fit into two cars. It would get a little bit cramped in the back seat, but it would do. He made me ride with Julia on purpose.

"You know, Embry, you've done and said a lot of things today that make me want to hate you."

"Well, I guess I'm lucky that you know I did and said these things for your own good."

"I'm not grateful all the same."

"You can always thank me later", he grinned.

Julia came back in.

"All right, I can stay until nine at the latest."

"Great", Embry exclaimed, "let's go!"

While the girls put on their jackets, I asked Julia nervously, "Can I ride with you? All the other cars are full."

"Sure!"

Julia drove an old red Mini. I had to duck my head to fit into the car.

"Sorry, my car isn't made for giants."

"It's only a short way, so it'll do."

"So", she cleared her throat, "have you changed your mind? Am I allowed into your life?"

"There seems to be no way I can keep you out of it. I've got to adjust to the thought, though. Can you give me one or two weeks?"

"Um, sure. Is it really okay for you that I'm staying for dinner? You already seemed uncomfortable during the game. I can drop you at the Den and drive home. That would be fine with me, really."

"No. Stay. You'll spare me annoying questions, advices and rebukes from my friends."

"Your friends are only worried about you."

"I know. It's annoying nonetheless. By the way, how's your mother?"

"Huh?"

"You said she wasn't well on Friday. So, is she better now?"

"Oh, I see. Yes, she's better. It was just a small stomach upset."

"And how's your relationship with Andy?" I watched her carefully. She stiffened slightly and got a hard, defensive expression on her face.

"We're good. Very good actually. No new incidents since the one in the bakery when you helped me."

"I'm glad to hear that."

She pulled onto the Den's parking lot. I climbed out of the car and stretched. That car really wasn't made to carry tall people over a long distance. I led her to the back room and she whispered, "Cool, I'm getting to dine in the VIP room!"

Several already seated shape-shifters chuckled and I looked down at her.

"VIP room?"

She blushed.

"Yeah, well, you know, a lot of kids in my school have already been eating here at least once and they've been noticing that there's a back room which is filled with…", she hesitated and blushed even more, "all the local hot guys and some gorgeous girls and that there's usually a lot of noise and laughter implying a cheery atmosphere. It's every girl's dream to get invited into the so-called VIP room."

I chuckled, earning a few disbelieving stares from my friends. Only then did I realize that it had been a genuine chuckle once again. I cleared my throat uncomfortably.

"Guys, this is Julia. Julia, these are Sam, Adrian, Emma, Tate, Ray, Kim, Jared, Chad, Aaron, Sky and Simon. And maybe you remember the twins, June and Janelle, and their little brother Jayden."

Julia waved at them.

"I'm sorry if I don't remember all your names. It's just too many new faces for one day."

"That's okay", Sam reassured, "you'll learn them little by little."

Julia creased her forehead, but she said nothing. She had to be wondering why Sam would assume that she would get the chance to learn the names gradually. Emily came rushing into the room from the kitchen and hugged a baffled Julia, squealing with glee.

"It's such a great pleasure to meet you! I'm so happy that you stepped into Seth's life!"

She pulled away, "Oh, I'm Emily, by the way, Seth's cousin."

"Um, nice to meet you too."

Julia's eyes lingered on Emily's scars for a short moment and I could see Sam tense from the corner of my eye. It had been such a long time, but he still hadn't gotten over it.

Emily beamed at me overjoyed and turned back to Julia.

"I'm sorry, I've got to go back to the kitchen. I hope I can take a break later to get to know you!"

Julia smiled and nodded. I placed my hand on the small of her back.

"Come. Take a seat."

We sat down next to Autumn and Embry.

"I wouldn't have thought that there were so many VIPs. Are they all your friends?" Julia whispered.

"Yeah, we're like one big family."

"That's nice. Who's your best friend?"

"Embry. And Autumn."

Julia smiled at them.

"Have you known each other since childhood?" she asked all three of us.

"I only moved here one year ago from Port Angeles", Autumn explained.

"That's why you looked so familiar to me!" Julia exclaimed, "I've seen you in Middle School, though we didn't have any classes together."

"Right, I remember. You were the German girl."

"Yeah… most of my classmates in Middle School didn't ever learn my real name."

"I know what you mean. In Middle School I was just Wallflower to most of my classmates. And in High School I started as the mute girl."

"Mute?"

"I stopped talking after the death of my mother."

"I'm sorry for your loss. I can't imagine losing my mother. She means everything to me."

"It's getting better with time, thanks to Embry and Emily. Emily and Sam adopted me, you know."

"What happened to your father?"

Autumn shifted uncomfortably.

"He's in jail."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. He's not worth it."

"So, Embry, what about you? Have you and Seth been friends since early childhood?"

"No, but we've been best friends for ten years now."

"That's cool. I've got a cousin back in Germany who is also my best friend and although we've barely seen each other in the last three years we're still as close as sisters. We chat on the Internet nearly every day."

"Isn't that complicated? With the time shift and all?" Autumn asked.

"Yes, it is. I get up fifteen minutes earlier than I have to every morning so that I can chat with Marie before school. For her it's right after school. On weekends we sometimes chat for hours. I often have to work on Saturdays and Sunday mornings, though. Izzy, my closest friend here in America, has kind of befriended Marie over the Internet, too. I hope I can get them to meet personally one day."

Emily and Leah brought large plates of steaks and baked potatoes and the eating calmed down the conversations. Julia stayed rather silent for the rest of the evening. She seemed thoughtful and I wondered what was on her mind. At nine o'clock she got up and waved to everyone.

"I'm sorry, but I have to leave now. I'm so glad I decided to come here today, I had a great time! Thanks for the dinner, Seth."

"We enjoyed your company very much", Embry replied, "We'll certainly invite you to our next games event. And you can come for dinner any time, if you want to."

"Yeah, I might do that. Thanks."

"Seth, why don't you walk Julia to her car like a gentleman would?"

That wasn't really a question. It was an order.

"Oh, you don't have to, Seth. Honestly, I don't mind", Julia countered.

"Well, he'll walk you anyway", Embry replied matter-of-factly. I glowered at him for purposely forcing me to do that. This wasn't far from using an Alpha command. Embry ignored me completely and smiled innocently at Julia instead.

"I already warned you earlier", I muttered under my breath while getting up, "Our friendship is in great danger to be replaced by hatred, Embry."

He didn't show any reaction. As to not make it look like I let myself be ordered around by Embry, I said aloud, "I wanted to leave anyway. Good night, guys!"

That was actually the ideal chance to get away before they could pester me with questions and advices again. Julia and I walked side by side through the main guest room. Some girls from the tribal school sat at one of the tables and openly glared at Julia, which she noticed, too. She leaned over to me and whispered, "Why are they glaring?"

I held the front door open for her while explaining, "They're jealous."

Julia looked at me disbelieving.

"Of me? Why would they?"

"Well, firstly, they probably think that we're dating. Despite the change in my personality I'm still one of the most eligible singles on the res, but I haven't dated anybody for one year and you're not even Quileute – not that I would mind that. Secondly, none of my girlfriends – and I actually had quite a lot before the change – ever got to dine in the back room, or as you called it, VIP room."

"I'm feeling honored. Why didn't they ever dine in there, but I did although I'm not even your girlfriend?"

I looked down self-consciously.

"Because you're special. We only allow special people in there."

"Okaaay", she prolonged the sound as if that wasn't a satisfying answer. We had reached her Mini and she fumbled with her keys.

"Seth, can I ask you something else?"

"Sure."

"Your friends were kind of weird. I mean, they're all very nice and likeable, but… they said strange things. It seemed you had told them a lot about me and they seemed to be so sure that we're going to be great friends and that I'll do you good."

Where was the question in there?

"I haven't told them that much about you. I mentioned you, and I told Autumn a bit more. You said earlier that you'd got the notion that you could help me better than others. My friends have got the same notion and I actually think so, too. I can't explain it yet. Like I said…you're special."

She frowned.

"Are you sure that you don't have a crush on me and that you really want to be just friends?"

"Absolutely. I can't imagine getting into a relationship right now – with anyone. My feelings for you are completely platonic. That might change in the future, but definitely not anytime soon."

"Okay. Sorry, I had to ask again. That was definitely the last time I did that. So, see you on Friday?"

"Yeah, see you. Good night. Have a safe journey home!"

"Thanks. Good night!" she said hugging me. I hugged her back and enjoyed the feeling of her hands on my bare back. Although her fingers were cold, the touch warmed me from the inside.

"Are you feeling well?" she asked suddenly.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"I just wondered… but then again, your skin always feels like you're running a fever. You've got to explain that to me sometime, but now I really have to leave. Bye!"

She climbed into the driver's seat.

"Bye."

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_Next update on Wednesday! Please review!  
_


	12. Chapter 11

_Thank you for the reviews, WolvePackForever and KittyPimms! You made my day!_**  
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**Learn to live with it**

The nightmare of Julia being attacked and killed by a vampire became an inherent part of my nights. Every time I woke up trembling with an aching chest, I got up, ran to Port Angeles and listened to Julia's steady breathing for the rest of the night. I went back to work and patrol on Monday, which took up the time I could have used to catch up some sleep, but I didn't mind. I was afraid to go to sleep, afraid to have that nightmare again, because it was stressing me even more than the one of Cora raping me.

On Friday morning, Embry and Autumn already sat in the kitchen when I came down. Autumn handed me a plate with bacon and eggs. While I ate, the two of them watched me warily. They had already finished their own breakfasts and usually they would get up, wash the dishes and leave then. After a few minutes I dropped my fork irritated.

"What?" I snapped.

"You're clearly lacking sleep and we wondered what could help you", Autumn replied softly.

"I'm not dropping out of work or patrol again", I stated firmly.

"I guessed as much", Embry said, "but you can't go on like this either."

"And what do you suggest?"

"You're afraid that you're making Julia a special target for vampires by befriending her, don't you?"

"Yes. My scent is all around her house. Any vampire who wants to score us off could go for her."

"But that has nothing to do with being her friend or not. You already checked on her when you were still determined not to befriend her. As her imprint you feel the urge to protect her. You cannot stay away from her. I can totally understand your angst. I think every shifter who has imprinted has this fear and has to learn to live with it. Your troubled mind seems to be even more anxious about losing her, probably because you know deep inside that she's your only way out of your misery. So I think you should do more to protect her. I know you want to keep working and patrolling, but please listen to my suggestion and think about it. I think it would be best if you moved to Port Angeles, somewhere close to her home. Instead of patrolling La Push's borders, you could patrol Port Angeles's borders. You could go to the community college, study Business Administration or whatever you'd prefer. You'd be closer to her, so you could check on her easily whenever you want. And… I talked to Jake last night.

The Cullens are going to split up for a while. Jake and Nessie want some time alone, so they decided to go to North Europe for at least six months, maybe longer. Emmett and Rosalie will spend some time in Siberia and Carlisle and Esme want to go to Argentina for a while and help the poor population there. Edward, Bella, Alice and Jasper are staying in North America together. They haven't decided yet where they'll go. While I was talking to Jake, Edward suggested that they could move in with you. Or, if you want a flat for your own, they could move in next door. That way, Jasper could soothe your nightmares, Alice could tell when vampires are coming to Port Angeles and all four of them would help you protect Julia. They could go with you to college or they could go to high school to watch over Julia while she's in school. You know you're like family to them. They really want to help you. Edward offered to pay for your flat and expenses in Port Angeles, too, no matter if you agree to let them move to Port Angeles or if you prefer to be alone."

"I don't need their money."

"The Den's going well, but if you left, Leah would have to employ someone to do your job and you do not have to pay any rent here. Edward knows that you don't want alms. He says you've been paying them a small amount of the Den's profit to pay back for the seed capital and he thinks it's about time that they invest again."

I snorted.

"We haven't paid back half the capital yet."

"Anyway, discuss the financial side with Edward. Think about moving to Port Angeles and about their offer to move in with you, okay? Oh, and something else to soothe your fears: Vampires who are after us might go for her, but any other vampires would forgo her house because of your scent which disgusts them. And I don't think that there are many vampires who would purposely provoke us. They fear us and word has spread that we're not only friends with the Cullens, but that we also allied with the Volturi last year. What do you think why we hardly find any leeches around the res anymore?"

I nodded.

"I'll think about moving."

"And you'll definitely befriend her?" Autumn asked worriedly.

"Yes. But next time she comes to La Push I'll kill everyone who makes weird insinuations. I don't want her to get suspicious. I'm planning not to tell her the secret for a long time."

"Uh, maybe that's not the best idea", Autumn demurred, "Of course you shouldn't tell her yet, but as soon as you consider yourselves close friends, you should. Otherwise she might hate you for not being honest and not telling her earlier and she might accuse you of distrusting her."

"I think it's much more likely that she'll be scared of me and wants to never see me again. She isn't Quileute. She has never heard the legends. She'll only hear that I can turn into a beast, not that I protect."

"I didn't know the legends either. When Embry told them to me, I only saw the Quileute warriors as the good ones and I wasn't scared at all, not even for a second, when I drew the conclusion that Embry was a shape-shifter himself."

"Yes, but such a reaction is rather rare among imprints. Ava freaked out and didn't let Lennie inside a 15-feet radius around herself for weeks! The other imprints had quite some trouble to convince her that Lennie would never hurt her and that he was in much better control than Sam when he scarred Emily."

"But in the end they managed to", Embry objected, "Anyway, we don't have to discuss that now. The first step is for Seth and her to become friends. Come on, Autumn, you're already late for school. Emily will kill me when she hears that. I'll be right back, Seth, be ready to leave."

Since we hadn't found a new van for the Den yet I would take Embry's Forester today. I would drop Embry at his work and pick him up on my way home again.

* * *

Seven hours later I entered the bakery.

"Hello, Seth! How are you doing?"

"Hey, Susan", I fake smiled.

"Um, just a warning: Andy's in there", she pointed to the back door. I tensed and entered the back room. Andy sat at the table in the corner whereas Julia and her mother were working.

"Hello, Seth!" Silke greeted brightly and I wondered if she was ever in a bad mood.

"Hello", I replied with my fake smile.

"Hey", Julia said rather shyly. I assumed that was either because of Andy or because she was worried I could refuse her friendship again.

"Your cakes are already ready, but if you can spare ten minutes of your time, I'd very much like to hear your opinion about a new cake I tried!" Silke announced ignoring the death glare Andy gave me. I had to pick up Embry at half past four, so I actually had a full hour to fill somehow.

"I can spare some time. What kind of cake is it?" I asked while I sat down opposite of Andy ignoring him the best I could.

"I couldn't find a proper translation. Literally translated it would be something like Russian pluck cake. It's some kind of cheesecake surrounded by chocolate short crust. Here you are."

She handed me a piece. Julia got herself another one and sat down on Andy's lap. That seemed to be a very good way to soothe Andy's jealousy. His glare turned into a smirk. I tried the cake which was downright delicious.

"Yummy! It's really, really good. Better than normal cheesecake, actually. I definitely want that one for next weekend."

Silke smiled widely.

"I'm glad to hear that. Andy didn't like it."

"Yeah, but he doesn't like any cheesecake, Mami", Julia defended him and turned to me, "How are you? You look tired."

"Yeah, that's because I am. I didn't sleep that well lately."

"Do you have nightmares?" she asked softly.

"Yeah", I frowned, wondering how she knew.

"You know, my cousin, Marie's brother, whom I told you about, has had a lot of nightmares, too. They eventually got better with the progress of the therapy."

Was that a hidden question if I made a therapy? Or a hint that I should make one?

"Basti had PTSD, Julia. You don't have PTSD, Seth, do you?" Silke asked taken aback.

"Actually I have", I admitted quietly, ashamed especially in Andy's presence. He raised his eyebrows. Silke looked aghast. For once the happiness had been vanished from her face.

"Oh, dear, I'm so sorry."

I cleared my throat uncomfortably.

"Can we change the subject?"

"Have you been in the army?" Andy asked ignoring my wish.

"No."

"I thought only soldiers and raped women get PTSD."

"Shut up, Andy!" Julia scolded. But it was already too late. My memories overwhelmed me. I started sweating and trembling and felt the panic attack coming. I jumped up, knocking my chair over in the process, and rushed with a muttered "Sorry" out of the bakery. I got into the Forester and locked the doors. My heart raced like crazy and I had the impression that I suffered the pain of the torture again, although I knew it was just a memory. I curled into a ball and concentrated on calm breathing. Someone tried to open the car door and I jumped to the other side of the car, my heart beat picking up even more speed. I refused to look who that was. I was safe in the car. As long as that someone didn't break the door, I was safe. Thinking that, I was finally able to calm down step by step. When my heart beat was back to normal I opened my eyes and saw Julia standing outside the car with a very concerned expression on her face. I unlocked the car doors with a still trembling hand and Julia hopped in immediately and took my hand in hers.

"I'm so sorry. Andy is such an insensitive dork!"

I squeezed her hand and stared into her eyes. Somehow their fawn brown color was calming.

"Can I ask you something?"

I blinked and broke the eye contact.

"What?"

"Are you in therapy?"

"No, not in a professional one. I can't go to a therapist. Nobody would believe me what happened. They'd put me in a nuthouse. I talk to Autumn instead. That helped, but only to a certain extent."

"Nobody would believe you? Your friends believe you, don't they? Autumn, at least, if the others don't know the details. Why wouldn't a therapist believe you too?"

"Remember that I talked about two different worlds? My friends are living in the same world as I. The therapists live in your world."

"Does that mean you'll never tell me because you think I won't believe you either?"

"No. That means I won't tell you until I'm sure that you're ready to get to know my world."

"You're riddling, you know. So, Andy visits some family in Seattle next weekend. Would you like to hang out? I want to introduce you to our cats and we could watch a movie or just talk, whatever you like."

"Yeah, I would like that."

She smiled broadly and I couldn't help but smile back genuinely. There it was again, that happy feeling that warmed my chest and banished all the bad memories from my thoughts.

"Give me your phone", she demanded. I handed it to her with a frown. She quickly typed something into it and handed it back. I looked at the display which showed a newly created contact. She had added her phone number and her address.

"Thanks."

She handed me her own phone expectantly and I entered my number into it.

"I'll go get your cakes. Just wait here, you don't have to face Andy again", she offered and went back into the bakery. Susan helped her with the boxes and I stowed the cakes in the last empty spots in the trunk. Julia hugged me goodbye and I inhaled her scent. She smelled like strawberries and vanilla.

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_Next update on Friday! Please review!_


	13. Chapter 12

_Thank you for reviewing, KittyPimms and WolvePackForever! _

_KittyPimms, I can't really help you to picture the cake's taste, other than that it's a lot like cheese cake, but a little chocolatey, too, and better than ordinary cheese cake (in my opinion). To get an idea how it looks like, you can google images for 'Russischer Zupfkuchen'. It's a calorie bomb by the way. Whenever I bake it I try not to think about how much fat and sugar it contains :D**  
**_

_Thank you for favoriting, daydreamer357! :)  
_

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**Because of us**

After another night of little sleep I had made up my mind and called Edward.

"Hello Seth!"

"Hi Edward."

"How are you?"

"Embry told you, didn't he?"

"He told Jake his point of view on your well-being. I wanted to hear your version."

I sighed.

"Well… I'm overtired, because I can't sleep without having nightmares and I often spend the rest of the night listening to Julia's sleep to avoid more nightmares. I had a panic attack yesterday, but… I also had a happy moment right afterwards."

"That's great! I mean, just the last part, of course. So, what made you happy?"

"Julia invited me to come over next Saturday."

"She must be very kind if she wants to help a stranger overcome his PTSD just like that. Kind like you."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. So, I've been calling to talk about your offer. I would like to move to Port Angeles and I would like to live there with you."

"Great! I wasn't sure if you would really want that, you know, because of our smell and because I didn't know if you trusted Jasper's and Bella's self-control."

"Bella's record is still clean, isn't it?"

"Yes, it's amazing. She has no problems at all with all the humans at college. And Jasper hasn't lost it since the incident with Bella years ago. He says it's getting easier. Alice will always have an eye on the future to avoid school days on which blood is shed. Or don't you want us to watch over Julia at High School?"

"Well, I'm not sure about Jasper and Bella, actually. I would like to go to college with you, so that would leave Alice to watch over Julia. I don't want to separate her from Jasper though, especially as he'll be occupied with keeping my nightmares away at night. So… he can go to school with Alice and Julia I think. And Bella could go to college with us. If that's okay for you all… I mean, maybe Alice would prefer to open a boutique… you can do what you like as long as Jasper helps me to sleep through the night."

"We would like to help you. Whatever you want us to do is fine with us. Listen, Jasper and Alice are going to Seattle on Wednesday. They have an appointment with Mr. Jenks. They'll stay at our old house in Forks afterwards, so that Jasper can help you sleep well and they can look for a house in Port Angeles."

"That's great. I didn't expect to get help so soon."

"Well, we have to ensure that you can concentrate on getting better. And those nightmares are definitely counterproductive."

"Whatever."

"And don't worry about the college fee. We'll cover that. And you don't have to pay us any rent of course."

"No! No. No. No! I'll pay the fees myself. And I'll pay you rent! I can afford that!"

"Of course you can, Seth. But you can also safe your money for your future life. We still owe you so much. Please, let us pay."

"You don't owe me anything! If you've ever owed me something, it would have been covered by freeing me last year."

"No, Seth. You're a wolf because of us. The Volturi and the vampire world know about you because of us. Therefore you've been kidnapped because of us. It was our duty to help freeing you."

I rolled my eyes.

"I don't blame you for either of these things. And don't start telling me that I helped protecting Nessie. Nessie is Jake's imprint and therefore it was _my_ duty to protect her. We're even, okay?"

"Okay, these things make us even. But you also helped us against the newborn army. You killed Riley and you saved Bella."

I groaned.

"All right. If it makes you happy, you may pay my fees."

"Good", I could hear him smirking, "by the way, Emmett stumbled across a cheap delivery van yesterday and remembered that you need a new one. Alice and Jasper will bring it with them to Washington."

"How much?" I asked suspiciously.

"500."

"And that junker can still make the tour from New York to Washington?"

"Who said it was a junker?"

"You can't get a decent van for 500 bucks."

"No. That's a special prize just for you."

"Edward", I growled lowly, "what did that van really cost?"

"Just a bit more", he chuckled.

"How much?"

"I won't tell you."

"How old is it?"

"A few years."

"I bet it's worth 15,000 Dollar. We'll pay you whatever it's worth."

"No. How much did you have in mind when you searched for a van?"

"10,000."

"Okay. Let's agree on 2,000."

I scoffed.

"9."

"2.5."

"8."

"3?"

"7.5."

"5. My final offer."

"You're insanely generous, you know that? You'll ruin your family one day."

"I doubt that."

"Well. I've got to work now. Thanks for everything. See you soon?"

"Yeah, we'll come in about three weeks. Nessie and Jake want to visit Charlie and Billy before they head off for Europe, so they'll come too. The others will only get their new passports from Jenks and move on then."

"All right. Bye."

"Have fun next Saturday. Bye."

* * *

Jasper and Alice arrived on Wednesday evening and Jasper chased my nightmares away. I slept in on Thursday, my body claiming the sleep he had lacked the last days. I didn't have patrol today, so I went to the Cullen's house with Jasper after breakfast. The new van for the Den turned out to be a three year old Mercedes Sprinter that had only run a few hundred miles. It was worth far more than 5,000 Dollar, but Alice and Jasper refused to let me pay more.

Alice was overly enthusiastic that we'd live together in Port Angeles.

"Guess what I saw when you made the decision that I should watch over Julia at school!"

"You're going to be great friends with her?"

"Yes!" she chimed, "We're going to annoy the hell out of Bella with long shopping trips! Izzy will come along, too. I can't wait to start school!" she squealed.

"She already knows what our house will look like too", Jasper said chuckling, "we're going to visit it on Saturday."

"Let me guess: It's modern, expensive and huge."

"Not that huge, actually", Alice objected, "It has only eight rooms."

"Oh, really, just eight?" I mocked.

"Four bedrooms, a living room, a walk-in closet and three rooms that could serve as offices or maybe you want a dining room. We can see what we'll do with them. Every bed room has his own bath room, by the way. And there's an underground garage that can hold all our four cars and Jasper's Ducati."

I frowned.

"Four cars? Does someone have a new car I don't know of?"

As far as I knew, Edward had an Aston Martin, Bella a Volvo, Alice a Porsche and Jasper had just his bike.

"Your car is the fourth, dummy!" Alice laughed.

"I don't have a car. The van will stay at the Den of course."

Alice blushed.

"You'll be renting one", she admitted.

"I will?"

"Yeah, Jake and Nessie don't want to take their Mustang with them over to Europe, so they thought you could have it while they're gone."

My eyes widened.

"Their shiny new Mustang? For me?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Okay…"

Didn't they realize that they were all spoiling me rotten like a little kid?

"Do you want to make a tour? We already brought it with us. It's in the garage."

"How could you bring more than two cars?"

Alice's Porsche was parked on the driveway. Alice smiled.

"A plane flew them from New York to Seattle and a truck carried them to Forks."

I didn't want to think about what that must have cost.

"We brought Edward's Aston Martin as well, so there's only the Volvo left in New York. They'll sell it and get a new one here", Alice added.

* * *

When I got the cakes on Friday, Julia wasn't at the bakery. Silke told me that she had to help on a charity event at her school. She also delivered the message that I should come over at 3 o'clock the next day.

Alice and Jasper had their appointment for the new house just a little later, so we went to Port Angeles together in the Mustang, as it was the only car in the current Cullen car park that could carry more than two persons. They dropped me off at Julia's. Julia opened the door immediately, before I could even ring the bell.

"Hey!" she smiled widely and her eyes sparkled.

"Nice car", she commented while following the Mustang with her eyes as Jasper pulled out of the driveway and onto the street.

"Uh, yeah, well, some friends dropped me off."

"Come on in!"

She led me into the living room where a teenage boy and a man watched a football game.

"Seth, that's my father Chris and my brother Ben. Chris, Ben, this is Seth", she introduced.

"Nice to meet you", I nodded at them.

"Nice to meet you too", Chris replied.

"Hey, wanna watch the game with us?" Ben asked.

"Uh", I glanced at Julia uncertainly, "would you watch the game if I weren't here?"

"No, actually, but we can watch it if you want to. That's okay with me."

"Let's do something else then. Embry is recording the game anyway, so I can watch it later."

"Okay, let's go to my room then."

We were almost out of the room when Ben called us back.

"Oh, um, wait a moment! So, Seth, our parents are going out tonight and Julia and I decided to make home-made pizza. Would you mind if I invited a friend of mine over?"

"No, of course not."

"Great! See you later then!"

I nodded and followed Julia upstairs to her room. One wall was painted in deep purple and the other three walls were cream-colored. Her furniture was of dark brown wood. There was a queen sized bed that was situated against the purple wall, a desk, a large wardrobe and a small seating corner with beanbags. In another corner stood a cat tree on which two cats lay, one sleeping and the other awake. The tortoiseshell cat got up when I entered, arched her back and hissed at me. That woke the white one up, which pressed itself deeper into the condo in which it had been sleeping, staring at me with wide eyes.

"Ronja! What are you doing, silly girl? That's just Seth!" Julia scolded.

"Never mind. Cats don't like me. I'm used to this kind of behavior."

"Why wouldn't they like you?"

Because I smell like a wolf and they're afraid of me. I couldn't tell her that of course.

"I have no idea. They just don't."

I stepped further into the room and as soon as I was several feet away from the door, the white cat jumped down from the tree and darted off to the door.

"Anyway, that white bolt was Schneeweißchen, our fraidy-cat, literally. And this is Ronja. Aramis is outside on a tour."

Julia ignored Ronja's aggressive stance and picked her up. She set her down outside the room and closed the door.

"I like Ronja. She's brave", I stated.

Most cats fled from us like Schneeweißchen.

"Oh, yes, she is. One of our neighbors has a large Newfoundland dog who loves to chase cats. The first time he tried that on Ronja, she clawed his muzzle. You can still see the scars. He has never bothered her again."

"I guess I can be lucky that she didn't attack me like that."

Julia laughed.

"Yeah, she might have done that if you had approached her."

Julia slumped down on a beanbag and patted the beanbag next to her.

"Sit down! What shall we do now? Play twenty questions to get to know each other?"

I sat down next to her and shrugged.

"Okay."

She jumped up again.

"I've totally forgotten! I made muffins and left them in the kitchen. Do you want to drink anything?"

"Soda?"

"Okay. I'll be back in a sec."

She quickly returned carrying a tray with a bunch of muffins and two glasses of soda. She put the tray down on a small table in the middle of the beanbags.

"Help yourself. Do you want to start asking a question?"

"Um… what's your favorite color?"

"Purple. Yours?"

"Amber. What do you want to do after school?"

"Oh my God, I don't know yet. I definitely want to go to college, but I don't know what kind of career I'll start. I have another two and a half years to think about that."

I nodded and waited for her question. Julia smirked.

"How many girlfriends have you had?"

I blushed. I didn't know the exact number, but it might be about twenty. If I told her that she'd either not believe me or she'd think I had a new girlfriend every two weeks since she couldn't know that I had had them over a period of 13 years.

"About two per year since I was fifteen. None in the last year, though."

"Ugh, now I have to calculate the actual number. How old are you?"

"It's my turn to ask a question", I smirked. She rolled her eyes and motioned me to go ahead.

"You said Andy is your first boyfriend. Have you had any crushes before him?"

"Yes. One. Now, how old are you?"

"My ID says 19, but I don't feel like 19."

I could see her brain working.

"That's six girlfriends in total! Quite a lot! And the… wait, it's your turn again."

"Why didn't you get together with your crush?"

"Well, he already has a girlfriend. They've been together for two years now and they're kind of inseparable. I don't have a crush on him anymore, though. He said some mean things about a friend of mine. If you don't feel like 19, how do you feel instead? Older or younger?"

"Older."

Her face softened.

"I guess that's normal when you experience traumatizing things as a teen."

I shrugged, not able to tell her the truth.

"Next question?" she asked.

"Oh, um… what are your favorite flowers?"

She raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

"No guy ever asked me that before. I love Sweet Williams. And roses, but I don't think there's a girl out there who doesn't like roses. Um, I had another question in mind just a minute ago, but I can't remember… Oh, now I know again: Your girlfriends, has none of them been the right one?"

"No. Do you still have family in Germany?"

"Yes, my uncle's family – that includes my cousins Marie and Basti – and my Grandma. How long was the longest you've been together with a girl?"

"Four months. How long have you been with Andy now?"

"Half a year. Do you work out a lot for these muscles?"

She stared openly at my shirt which showed off my muscles.

"No, not as much as others. You might have noticed that Quileute genes are in favor of buff bodies."

"Yeah, you all look like that", she chuckled.

"Do you miss Germany?"

"Well, I miss my family and friends of course. And sometimes I remember things that were different in Germany, better in my opinion. Especially food. I'm glad that my Mum makes German bread because I really don't like the American. The climate is similar, although the summers here are drier and the winters are milder. Port Angeles is not as windy as Hamburg. That has both its advantages and disadvantages."

"When can wind be advantageous?" I asked ignoring that it was her turn to ask a question.

"Hot summer days are rare in both Port Angeles and Hamburg, but on such a rare day it is quite nice to have a cool summer breeze. And in winter it's nice and comfortable to sit inside the warm house while the wind is howling outside."

"Are their hurricanes or tornadoes in Germany?"

"No, there are just rather harmless storms. Germany is a safe place to live. No tropical storms, no earthquakes, no volcanoes, no venomous snakes or spiders and hardly any dangerous wild animals. Have you ever come across a wild predator? A wolf or a bear or what else lives in the local woods?"

"Yes. Wolves are rather reclusive, though. They usually don't attack humans."

Especially the big Quileute wolves don't harm humans, I added in my head.

"Have you ever done anything reckless or even dangerous?"

"Yes, several times, actually."

I had done so many things that could be sorted into this category. Fighting a vampire in a pack of wolves was hardly risky, because we had the edge over them as long as we outnumbered them. Fighting a vampire alone on the contrary was dangerous and I had done it several times. Siding with the Cullens against the newborn army had been dangerous, too, and siding with them against the Volturi had been suicidal. Not doing what your opponent tells you to when the punishment for disobedience is torture is foolish and frivolous.

"What have you done?"

"Cliff diving."

For a shape-shifter, cliff diving was hardly risky, but I had already done it a few times before my first phasing, though I had jumped off a lower level back then.

"Cliff diving? You mean, like jumping off a cliff into the water?"

She shuddered.

"Yeah. It's sort of a sport in La Push. Most of the teenage guys have jumped at least once, I think. My friends and I did it countless times. Are you cold?"

"What? No", she denied flabbergasted.

"I just thought… because you were shuddering…" I trailed off.

"Well, that was because I imagined jumping off a cliff. I don't like jumping into water, not even from the pool edge, and I don't like diving either, nor do I like anything else that results in my head being under the water surface."

"But you can swim, can't you?"

"Yes, I can. But I'm still afraid of drowning. Embry said you were brave. Does a brave man have any fears, too?"

"Yes, of course. I'm afraid of the content of my nightmares and I'm afraid of the nightmares themselves, too, that is to say I'm afraid of sleeping. Doesn't sound very brave, does it."

"I'm sure you're brave. And I'm sorry for asking. I didn't want to direct your thoughts to your nightmares."

"Never mind."

* * *

_I would like to give a shoutout to _WolvePackForever_'s new story _My Wolf_.__ Please give it a try and review!_

_We'll get some drama in the next chapters! I actually can't wait to get them up and hear your opinon!  
_

_Review, please, or else there won't be an update tomorrow :P  
_


	14. Chapter 13

_Thank you for reviewing, EliseInWonderland247, WolvePackForever and KittyPimms!_**  
**

_EliseInWonderland247, I hope you're better now! If not, get well soon!  
_

_WolvePackForever, Andy is in Seattle over this weekend, if you remember, so he's not the friend. Doesn't mean that the friend's good though.  
_

_KittyPimms, decadent? :D okay... I would have never described it like that. I'm glad you liked Seth's answers :)  
_

* * *

**A hard nut to crack**

We kept talking about random trivial things and told each other childhood stories. In between I heard Chris and Ben moaning and complaining about the game's outcome, Silke coming home and leaving with Chris an hour later. Soon thereafter the doorbell rang.

"That must be Archie. Let's go downstairs", Julia suggested.

"Archie? As in Archibald?" I asked amused as I got up.

"Yeah, weird name, right? His brother had an old-fashioned name, too. He died last year though."

While we were going downstairs, I heard Ben open the door.

"Hey, mate! Glad you could come."

"Hi, Ben! So, you said Julia had a male visitor that is not Andy? Is she cheating on him?"

"No, I think not. He's just a friend from La Push."

"Quileute?" his friend asked kind of suspicious and slightly alarmed. Just then we rounded the corner to the hallway. At the sight of him I stopped dead in my tracks and instinctively made a step backwards. Archie was pale white, had perfect features and dark eyes. And he looked familiar. His eyes met mine and we stared at each other. There were shadows of dark circles around his eyes. I sniffed, but all I could smell was Julia's and Ben's scent and the fading scents of Silke and Chris. Archie's looks screamed vampire, but I should have been able to smell him even from this distance. I listened carefully, but there were only three hearts beating in here. My thoughts raced, trying to figure out why he looked familiar. I tried to remember all the vampires we had fought until it hit me like one of Cora's electric shocks. Archie looked a lot like Eustace. Same brown hair, same slender body, same close-set eyes. Eustace had been a member of the coven that kidnapped and tortured me. He was able to paralyze his opponent for several seconds and he had paralyzed me several times to help Cora keep me under control. The Volturi had killed Eustace along with most of his comrades. He had died one year ago, just like Archie's brother.

My heart raced like crazy and my body started shaking, announcing my close phasing. I concentrated on breathing. I could neither panic nor phase now. I had to control myself. Julia approached Archie totally oblivious to my reaction and the danger she put herself in. I restrained myself from attacking him when they hugged. He was some kind of friend of them. He wouldn't hurt her. Right? I stepped forward and tried to regain a neutral expression.

"Seth, this is Archie. Archie, this is Seth", Ben introduced. Archie offered me his hand. I flinched surprised when our skins touched. He was as warm as a human. That was confusing.

"Nice to meet you, Seth", he said politely, but rather coolly.

"Yeah, you too", I replied coldly. Ben and Julia exchanged a confused look. I slowly increased the pressure on Archie's hand, testing him. His skin was just as hard as a vampire's and a human couldn't have withstood the amount of pressure I applied in the end. Archie smiled knowingly. Even at this close proximity I couldn't smell anything. How could someone not have a scent at all? Maybe he had a gift that allowed him to hide his scent. Then again, his warm skin confounded me. No vampire could have warm skin. That was impossible. Wasn't it?

"All right, I'm starving. Let's make the pizza!" Ben announced and started for the kitchen.

"Julia!" I held her back while Archie followed Ben, "His brother. What was his name?" I whispered anxiously.

"Eustace. Why? Do you know Archie? Have you met him before? Cause it looked like it."

"I knew his brother. We weren't on good terms though… Hey, where's a bath room?"

"Right here", she pointed to a door next to the entrance.

"Thanks. I'll be right back."

I was reluctant to leave her alone with Archie, but I needed some good advice now and some reinforcement would be calming to have. I closed the door behind me and turned the water on high. I hoped the noise would be enough to cover my talking. I quickly dialed Alice's number and she picked up almost immediately.

"Seth! We're already on our way. Keep calm, don't do anything rash. Ben and Julia have to stay oblivious. Don't provoke him. Stay close to Julia to calm your nerves. As soon as he leaves their house we'll intercept him. He won't do anything today, as long as you can restrain yourself."

"Wait, what do you mean, not today? What have you seen? Will he do something in the future?"

"The future can still change, Seth, you know that. We'll take him to task later, okay? Don't worry, this will work out."

"He is a vampire, isn't he?"

"Yes."

"What about his skin?"

"What about that?"

"It's warm, like a human's!"

"Oh. Really? Well, we'll figure that out later, too. But he definitely is one of us."

"How do you know?"

"I've seen him drinking."

I tensed.

"Whose blood will he drink?"

"That vision already changed when we decided to interfere, Seth. He won't harm Julia, I promise. Now you promise me to keep control."

"Ouch!" I heard Julia exclaim, "Damn it, I cut myself."

I was in the kitchen within a second and placed myself between her and Archie, just in time to let him bump into me on his way over to her. I started shaking again, ready to phase to protect her properly, but that had to be my last resort. Archie fought my tight grip around his arms for a split second. Then he held his breath and whispered, "Lead me out of here. Don't let go of me until I tell you to."

I had to practically drag him out of the kitchen. Although his words indicated that he didn't want to drink her blood, his body clearly showed different signals. When we reached the living room, his resistance faded and he willingly moved forward. He went to a window, opened it and inhaled the fresh air.

"Okay, you can release me now."

I reluctantly let go of him.

"Thank you", he murmured. I snorted.

"You're welcome", I mocked. He looked up at me.

"Honestly. I'm glad you were there. Ben is a descendant of my brother. They're my family and I really don't want to kill them. But my gratitude doesn't change that I don't appreciate your friendship with Julia and that I loathe you and your pack mates for killing my brother. I want you to stay away from Julia. You haven't been friends for long, so that can't be that hard, right? If you stay away, I might forget that you killed Eustace. If you don't, I'll revenge him while simultaneously protecting Julia from you. I can hide my scent. You'll neither see me coming nor can your pack mates follow me to revenge you in return."

I tried my best to keep calm.

"Firstly, we didn't kill your brother. That were the Volturi. Felix, to be exact. Secondly, your brother helped to torture me, so don't talk about revenge and hatred to me. Thirdly, I, contrary to you, am no threat to Julia. Obviously you can't control yourself, even if it's true that you don't want to hurt her. Maybe you should have fed before coming for a visit. As thirsty as you look I wonder how I was able to hold you."

"I've fed recently. I can darken my eyes to seem more like a human."

"That's your talent? To seem like a human by darkening your eyes, warming your skin and hiding your scent?"

"Yes."

Ben entered the living room and eyed us curiously.

"Hey. Everything okay here?"

"Yeah, sorry. I can't stand blood", Archie explained.

"Oh, okay…" he frowned. He must have noticed that Archie's reaction in the kitchen wasn't the reaction of a person who couldn't stand blood. And he had to wonder why I had been there so quickly and why I had dragged Archie out of the kitchen although I only knew him for a few minutes.

"Guys! Come to put toppings on your pizzas!" Julia yelled. I didn't want to have my back to Archie, so I waited for him to pass me and go ahead. While passing me, he bumped into me on purpose and muttered, "Stay away from this family."

"The hell I will."

He glared back at me. Outside the unmistakable motor sound of the Porsche approached the house and died down.

"Are you okay?" Julia asked me quietly when I entered the kitchen.

"Yeah, I'm fine. How's your finger?"

"Stopped bleeding. It was just a tiny cut."

I watched that I stayed between Archibald and Julia throughout the rest of the evening. To my displeasure Julia invited Ben and Archie to watch the movie with us.

When the credits ran over the screen in the end, Julia yawned and I figured that was my cue to leave, but I couldn't leave the house as long as Archie was in it. Thankfully Ben solved that problem for me.

"Hey, Archie, I don't want to kick you out, but I've got football training early tomorrow morning, so I should get a good night's rest."

Archie got up.

"That's okay", he said and continued in a low volume only I could hear, "do you leave voluntarily now too or do I have to make you?"

"I'm not afraid of you", I muttered back. However, I got up and announced my leaving. I wanted to be there when Jasper and Alice caught Archibald. We left the house together in fake peace. The second the door closed behind us the atmosphere changed into open animosity. We watched each other attentively, ready to repel an attack. We both knew that a fight in the middle of the street would endanger the exposure of our species' existence, therefore neither of us dared to make the first move. Without him noticing I directed us towards the Porsche, in which Alice and Jasper were waiting. When we were beside the car, the doors opened and Archibald found himself encircled quicker than even his vampire senses could notice.

"Hello, Archibald", Alice said rather friendly. Archibald glared at the Cullens and then at me.

"I should have known. Where a Quileute shape-shifter is, are the Cullens not far. Though I thought you'd moved away."

"Well, we're about to move back", Alice retorted.

He grumbled.

"If you're trying to clean the region from others of our kind, you'll find me a hard nut to crack."

Alice reached out for him a split second before he quickly turned and jumped over the car, but still she wasn't fast enough to catch him. Jasper and Alice rushed after him immediately. I stripped out of my clothes and tossed them into the car before I phased and darted after them. They were already out of sight, but I could smell Alice and Jasper and as long as they didn't lose sight of Archibald I would be able to catch up to him. Not for nothing was I the brother of the fastest shape-shifter.

I caught up with Alice just behind the borders of Port Angeles. Jasper had reached Archibald and was struggling with him.

"Don't kill him!" Alice begged when I overtook her. Just then Archibald let Jasper crash into a tree and I could see his skin cracking. He was momentarily unable to move and Archibald took his chance to escape. I was hot on his heels and I heard Jasper rejoining the chase after he had finished healing. I growled frustrated when Archie jumped up into the trees and continued his flight there. From my nightly checks on Julia I had gotten to know this forest quite well. And I knew we were headed towards a clearing. It was a small clearing and Archibald would be able to cross it with a well-aimed wide jump. But contrary to the dense forest I would be able to jump in between.

I could already see the open space ahead of us. I kept my eyes on Archibald as much as possible without running into a tree. The correct timing was important. I had to wait for him to actually jump as to avoid that he guessed my plan and rounded the clearing instead. I also had to foresee his air route as to aim perfectly and jump with the right force. He seemed to know the clearing too because he didn't falter at all, but jumped confidently towards the other side. I pushed myself high up into the air. My front paws landed right on his shoulders and forced him down. He managed to land on all fours but I was on his back and my weight pressed him down onto his stomach. My jaw closed around his neck, my teeth not yet piercing his skin, but close enough that he didn't dare to move.

* * *

_So, what do you think? Is Seth going to kill him? What did Alice see in her vision? You'll find out on Monday!_

_Please review!  
_


	15. Chapter 14

_Thank you for the reviews, Stars-In-The-Eyes, KittyPimms and WolvePackForever! _

_Stars-In-The-Eyes, well, yes, partially. It was said that she couldn't see them and Nessie because she's never been a shape-shifter/hybrid herself. I imagine it like this: Today she is close friends with some shape-shifters and has been living with Jacob and Nessie for fifteen years. That way, she got to know them and learned about their species from the outside. She still can't see everything, especially when the shape-shifters are in wolf form or when there are too many shape-shifters involved, but she can see some things about them. Like Bella advanced her talent by practicing to stretch the shield, Alice advanced her talent, too. For example in this case, she probably saw Seth preventing Archibald from attacking Julia, but she is as clueless as you are if Seth is going to kill him now in his wolf form or not.**  
**_

* * *

**Join your brother in hell**

"Seth, don't!" Alice yelled. I rolled my eyes. I wasn't doing anything, was I?

'Nice jump, Sethy!' Leah commented in my head.

'Why don't you bite?' Embry asked growling. The growl wasn't in my head though, it was right beside me. Embry chuckled.

'Did you think we'd let you kill that leech all by yourself? We wanted to get a bite, too, but obviously we came too late. Now, why don't you bite?' Leah explained and repeated Embry's question.

'I have no idea. Alice said I shouldn't. Maybe she saw something.'

"Hello, Embry, Leah," Alice said, "Seth, Archibald is encircled and can't escape again. Let go of his neck and let him face us."

I stepped back reluctantly. Archibald relaxed obviously relieved and rolled onto his back before slowly sitting up and then standing up. Embry, Leah and I growled in sync at him and he decided to turn his back to the Cullens, clearly considering us more dangerous.

"We don't want to clean the region of other vampires," Alice stated, "But we won't let our friends or the friends of our friends be harmed."

"Well, fine, what do you want with me, then? I'm not harming anybody!"

'You nearly attacked Julia!' I growled.

"You're not vegetarian," Jasper replied, "how can't you not harm somebody?"

"I took over my brother's coven's charity office here in Port Angeles. I live off blood donations."

I snorted.

'Can you lend me your shorts, Embry? I want to join this conversation.'

'Sure.'

I took the shorts from his ankle with my teeth while Leah closed the gap that I had left in the circle. I phased back and rejoined the circle.

"You were about to attack Julia when she drew blood," I accused, "How can you stand to watch humans donate blood?"

"I can't. I have employees for that."

"You don't deny that you attacked her?"

"I didn't mean to!"

"You said you're not harming anybody, but as you've just admitted you do, because you can't control yourself."

"That has never been a problem before today. I haven't killed a human since my brother died. And I have never killed a relative before that either. The Finches are my family. My only family since you killed Eustace. I would never harm them on purpose! I'm here to protect them. From other vampires as well as your kind."

"Once again, firstly, we didn't kill Eustace, secondly, he deserved to be killed, thirdly, we're no threat to Julia. You are."

"Seth," Jasper said in a warning tone.

"What?" I snapped.

"He's not Eustace. Don't take your rage out on him."

I huffed.

"What did you see, Alice?" I asked.

"I saw you and Julia together in a couple of years. He won't harm her."

"No, you saw that because I decided to kill him."

Archibald's eyes flickered nervously.

"No, you won't kill him."

"Yes, of course I will! Tell me one reason why I wouldn't!"

"Because we don't kill as long as it's avoidable."

"We?" I raised my eyebrows, "Excuse me, but _we_," I motioned to Embry and Leah, "kill every vampire who hasn't got a treaty with us and comes too close to our beloved."

"Right, I forgot," she frowned, "You know, Jacob hasn't killed a single vampire since we left Forks. He accepted our moral beliefs and I somehow assumed that you would do the same now that we'll be living together."

"How could I protect Julia if I didn't kill vampires?" I asked irritatedly.

"That's not what I meant. Of course you'd kill any vampire who threatens Julia, and that's okay, but I'd prefer if you didn't kill innocents and friends of us."

"No red-eyed leech is innocent and your friends are safe as long as they stay away from Julia. If it's okay for me to kill those who threaten Julia then why am I not allowed to kill Archibald? He attacked her, so he threatened her!"

"He didn't mean to harm her. It was an accident. And you were there to prevent the worst from happening, so everything's fine."

"No, it's not fine! She isn't even his blood relative, so she's actually not family to him even if Chris and Ben are."

"I consider her family nonetheless!" Archibald argued.

I felt a calming wave flooding me and glared at Jasper. Sometimes I hated his talent.

"Well," he said directed at Archibald, "in that case, would you consider a treaty with the Quileute? Because, as you've heard, they only spare those who have a treaty with them."

"If that treaty includes that they stay away from my family, including Julia, I would consider it."

I snorted. He only wanted to save his ass, otherwise he would never make a treaty with the wolves he considered responsible for his brother's death.

"Never. Even without that barefaced demand would we never make a treaty with _him_," I clarified.

"Seth! Once again, he is not Eustace!"

"But he is his brother, for heaven's sake! He loathes us! We could never trust him!"

"Let's have a talk and see if he's trustworthy then," Alice suggested.

I huffed.

"How come you didn't join the Seattle coven too, Archibald?" Jasper asked.

"I wasn't suicidal. I knew the Volturi couldn't be dispossessed. Eustace knew that too, but he never liked having to kill humans and he was euphoric that this coven gave him a possibility to get blood without killing."

"And what did you think of their plan to make the shape-shifters some kind of guard dogs?"

He shrugged.

"I knew they were friends with you, so why shouldn't they befriend that coven too?"

"Being friends and playing the guard dog for someone else is not quite the same."

"But they did side with you against the Volturi, didn't they? Weren't they some kind of guard dogs back then as well?"

"It's a matter of wording. A guard dog serves. He acts under orders and doesn't get a chance to voice his own opinion and wishes. A friend on the other hand helps. He decides if he's willing to take a risk. He isn't ordered to do something, he's asked to. He has his own free life and can do what he want."

"Nobody said they had to obey them without reserve."

"But it sure as hell sounded like that when they tried to torture me into agreeing to it," I objected.

"Did Eustace tell you about the torture?" Jasper asked with a side glance towards me.

"Yes, he did," Archibald got anxious, "I'm sure that when they first offered the treaty and asked the wolves to help them against the Volturi, they didn't mean that they had to obey no matter what. But when the wolves refused… I mean, maybe they suddenly realized that they had no chance against the Volturi and that made them desperate. Eustace wasn't OK with the torture, honestly, he wasn't. He hated to help Cora. She disgusted him. But that coven was kind of like a human sect. Once inside there's no way back out. Although most of the vampires were barely two centuries old and Eustace was the second oldest, his talent was too weak to stand up against them. The day before his death, when Algernon bit the older shifter, he told me that he wanted to leave. That he wished he could help you," he glared at me, "how could you be so oblivious to the fact that he wasn't your enemy? How could you not speak up for him when the Volturi wanted to kill him? He hasn't done anything wrong! He joined them to stop killing humans! He didn't want what they did to you! How could you not notice?"

"He wasn't a tad bit reluctant when he had to help. I could see that he wasn't enjoying the torture like Cora did. He seemed neutral. He never said anything. How should I have known?"

"Even if he had known and spoken up for him, the Volturi wouldn't have spared Eustace. The wolves don't mean anything to the Volturi. They'd probably be happy if someone killed them all. Pity or sympathy with a shape-shifter doesn't touch them at all. They killed Eustace for being a member of the coven that questioned their power, not for capturing and torturing three wolves," Jasper added.

"Why should I even believe you that it was a Volturi guard who killed him? I won't believe that the shape-shifters only stood there watching. I know they were there and I'm sure they wanted revenge."

"We had our revenge. We tortured and killed Cora. But Eustace was killed by Felix," I replied.

"Why do you want to turn Ben?" Alice chimed in. I gasped.

"He wants what?" I asked incredulously. Alice ignored me and waited for Archibald to answer her question instead. He didn't answer though.

"He's going to turn Julia's brother and we're not allowed to kill him? Are you kidding me, Alice?" I asked upset. Again she ignored me.

"I have lost my brother last year. We haven't always been together the past five hundred years, but we were always close. I cannot face eternity without a reliable friend," Archibald finally answered Alice's question.

"Well, we can help you with that. When you're dead, you don't have to face eternity and if there is an afterlife for your kind you can join your brother in hell," I replied. He glanced anxiously at me.

"Why did you take over the charity office? Are you having problems with having to kill humans, like your brother?" Jasper asked.

"Could we not change the subject right now? If he has plans to turn Ben then there's no chance he'll leave this clearing alive!" I interfered. Archibald tensed.

"Shut up, Seth. Just for five minutes," Jasper begged, "Answer my question, Archibald."

"I – I want you to trust me, therefore I'm being honest. I always thought of it as an unavoidable part of my being. Animal predators kill their prey to survive too and it wasn't like I killed for joy, I, too, did it to survive. Eustace was different. He downright hated it. He tried to kill himself in his first years, until he realized that there was no way. Some two or three hundred years ago he even went to the Volturi and asked to be killed, but they refused because of his talent. That's why he jumped so desperately at the opportunity to live off donated blood. He always loved me, although I didn't share his belief that we were monsters. When he didn't feed for weeks and got weaker and weaker, I made him feed and he still loved me. After his death I felt like I owed him, so I decided to stop killing."

"Every vampire in North America heard about us after the birth of Nessie and our encounter with the Volturi. You must have heard about us too. So why didn't your brother come to us?"

"He tried your lifestyle, but the longer he fed off animal blood the worse was the mess when he met humans. In a period of one month he killed as many humans as he usually killed in half a year. So he gave up on the animal blood again."

"Did you try it too?"

"No."

"Would you try it if the shape-shifters insisted that either you try or they'll kill you?"

I wasn't sure if I liked that suggestion.

"Yes, I guess so."

"What do you think, Seth? Can you agree to leave him alive when he tries to change his lifestyle?"

"I probably could if he promised to stay away from Julia. Because I could never risk that he reacts to the diet like his brother did and kills Julia in his heightened bloodthirstiness."

"I won't stay away from the Finches. They are my family."

"He won't react like his brother," Alice stated confidently.

"Did you see that?"

"Yes. It won't be easy for him to restrain his thirst for human blood, but it won't be worse than Jasper's. And we'll always keep an eye on him."

"I still don't like it."

"Come on, Seth. Give him a chance."

"There's still the fact that he plans to turn Ben. I cannot allow that."

"He might not need to turn him because by choosing our lifestyle and living with us he would become part of our family and therefore have someone who he can face eternity with."

"Nobody said he'd join your family."

"But I would if I could," Archibald retorted.

"And we'll let him if he becomes vegetarian," Alice added.

I sighed heavily.

"Well then. I'll agree to a truce. He's not allowed near Julia without company. He has to really try getting off the human blood. One gaffe and you're dead, leech."

"Seth, I told you it's going to be difficult. It takes time to get control over the thirst."

"Okay, I'll change my phrasing: If blood is drawn he should let himself be dragged away willingly like today. Any other attack will lead to his death. That's my final word."

"Alright. Archibald, do you agree to these terms?"

"No. I don't want him near Julia. Is that so difficult to understand?"

"I would never hurt her!"

"Yeah, sure. Do you think I haven't seen what shape-shifters are capable of? I've spied on you because I wanted to find a way to revenge my brother. I've seen the woman with the scars and you can't tell me she's been attacked by a bear. You could hurt Julia like that and I won't risk that."

"Sam scarred Emily when he was still an inexperienced shifter and didn't have the phasing under control yet. I've been a shifter for fifteen years now. I have the phasing completely under control. If I hadn't I would have phased in the kitchen when you attacked her. Because nothing makes a wolf angrier than a vampire who attacks his imprint."

"Imprint?"

"Yes. Julia is my soul mate. I cannot stay away from her and I definitely won't. I'll protect her with my life."

"But she's with Andy."

"I know and I don't especially like it, but I won't interfere as long as she's happy with him."

"Well then. If you ever hurt her, physically or mentally, I'll kill you. Do we have a treaty?"

He offered me his hand.

"One more point. You're not allowed on Quileute lands."

"Okay."

We shook hands shortly.

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_Since I haven't received any criticism on my English yet, I'll have to repeat myself. I really, really want to improve, but I can't if you don't tell me what I'm doing wrong. Spelling, grammar, punctuation: please point out any mistakes that I'm doing over and over again and any other bad mistake. Wording: please point out any sentence that sounds odd and any words that don't fit in the context, are dated or only rarely used. Reviews on this topic would be highly appreciated. I would also love to have a beta for this purpose. If you would beta, but you think that I'm updating too fast and you won't have the time to proofread at that speed, we could try to find a compromise, e.g. I reduce updates to twice a week or you proofread only every third chapter or something like that. Of course you should be very good at spelling and grammar.  
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_Next update on Wednesday!  
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_Please review!  
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	16. Chapter 15

_Thank you so much for your review, WolvePackForever! Quite perfect? That means a lot to me, but I don't think that will change that I'm having insecurities when I write. I guess I'm too much of a perfectionist ;)_**  
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**I don't consort with criminals**

On Sunday afternoon, when Leah and I tried to calculate the salary we were able to pay for a barman who could replace me, my phone buzzed. The caller ID said it was Julia and my face lit up considerably.

"Hi, Julia!" I said happily.

"Hey, Seth," she replied awkwardly.

"What's wrong?" I asked concerned.

"Um," she cleared her throat nervously, "I'm sorry, but… we can't be friends anymore. Please stay away from me."

I blinked.

"What!?"

"I'm sorry. Goodbye, Seth."

"No, wait! You can't dump me like that! At least tell me why!"

I had a lump in my chest and my hands started to tremble slightly. She couldn't reject me. I depended on her.

"You said yourself that you were no good for me, remember? Guess I finally admitted that to myself."

"But, what did I do wrong?" I asked weakly.

"Nothing."

"Then why did you change your mind? Please, Julia, I… I need you! I can't lose you!"

"That's rubbish. You have a bunch of good friends that are just as capable of helping you as I am."

"No, you don't understand. My friends have done what they could the past year, but they reached their limits. You… you made me feel happy again. You made me smile genuinely."

"I'm sorry, Seth, but I'm not allowed to meet you anymore."

"What? You're not allowed? Why would your mother forbid that? Did I do something to upset her?"

"It's not Mom. It's Chris who got convinced of your badness by Ben who got convinced by… never mind."

My tremors increased.

"Archibald?"

"Um, yes."

"And you? Are you convinced of my _badness_ as well?"

"I don't know, I mean, you said yourself that if I was smart I'd stay away from you and since you stayed secretive about your so called other world…"

"But I told you I wasn't a criminal. My world is dangerous, but I'd protect you. What exactly did Archibald accuse me of?"

"He said you were involved in his brother's death. That you were in some kind of gang and that you had some kind of gang warfare going on with a gang in Seattle. His brother somehow got in between accidentally and was killed. And he said you threatened him when you two left yesterday."

"I didn't kill his brother!"

"But you were somehow involved?"

"Didn't you see that Archibald and I didn't get along very well? Can't you see that he made this up to push me out of your life?"

"Well, his story provides a reason why you didn't get along. Can you honestly deny that you were involved in Eustace's death?"

"It's not like he said!"

"You keep avoiding answering my question directly. If you had denied your joint guilt in Eustace's killing right away, I would have believed you. This way… Stay away from me, Seth."

She hung up on me. I quickly dialed her number, but she rejected my call. I tried again, but my fingers didn't want to obey properly anymore. I was shaking with both anger and sobs of despair and grief. I crashed the phone in my hand and buried my face in my arms, giving in to the rising tears. My chest hurt as if someone had pounded it. Leah pulled her chair closer to me and laid an arm around my back.

"Shh, she'll come around eventually. She feels the imprint bond, too. And you're still going to see her on Fridays, won't you? I'm curious how Archibald managed to talk to Ben without Alice and Jasper noticing."

That reminded me. I stood up abruptly, a grim expression on my face.

"Uh, Seth, what are you going to do?"

"Kill that bloody leech," I confessed through clenched teeth and headed for the door. Leah rushed past me and blocked the door.

"I can totally understand you, but think again. Archibald talked her into rejecting you. He could talk her into giving you another chance, too."

I snorted.

"Yeah, as if he'd ever do that! Let me leave, Leah, I don't want to hurt you."

"I'd like to see you trying. Just listen for a minute. I really think you shouldn't kill him. Listen!" she repeated as I tried to push her away, "What will Julia think when she doesn't hear anything anymore from Archibald? He told her that you threatened him! Don't you think she'd draw the conclusion that you're responsible for his disappearance? And, you could try to tell her what really happened one year ago, but as long as Archibald doesn't admit that he might have perverted the facts, she might not completely believe you. He's going to pay for this. We'll make him admit that he wasn't honest. But no killing, no biting. Alright?"

I growled.

"Okay. But I don't promise anything."

"Let's go."

We got into Leah's Verano. On the way to the Cullens' house I eyed the speed indicator impatiently.

"Could you drive a bit faster?"

Leah rolled her eyes.

"No. The longer it takes us to get there, the more time you have to calm down."

"I don't want to calm down!"

"But you need to. You can't kill him, Julia would never trust you again."

I grinded my teeth and took Leah's cell phone to try another time to call Julia back.

"Don't you dare crack mine, too!" Leah warned. Julia rejected the call once more, so I decided to text her. _Pls let me xplain! Give me a chance 2 defend myself, that's all I want. Seth_

Not a minute later I got a response. _2 L8. u had ur chance. I don't consort w/ criminals. I still hope u can overcome ur ptsd though. w/o me._

The tears threatened to spill again. I texted back desperately: _I'm not a criminal! If u'd just let me xplain… PLS!_

Julia's response came as quickly as last time. _FYI: I didn't read ur last text and I won't read any future texts. I won't even react in the future. _

That was it. I had lost. I wiped a tear in the corner of my eye away angrily.

"What does she say?" Leah asked softly.

"She thinks I'm a criminal. She won't let me explain. She rejects my calls and now she doesn't even read my texts anymore! I'm screwed!"

Finally Leah pulled onto the driveway of the Cullens. I rushed to the door and she hurried after me.

"Seth, control yourself!" she demanded.

Alice opened the door when I was about to just burst through it.

"Where is he?" I growled.

"He?"

"Archibald, for heaven's sake, Alice, who else could it be?"

"He's hunting with Jasper. What happened? Why are you mad?"

"Don't act dumb, Alice, you must have known!"

I was shaking again, but Alice didn't let herself be bothered by that despite my close proximity.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she replied calmly.

"Well, apparently you neither watched him carefully nor did you watch his decisions!"

"I might have taken a break from concentrating on his decisions, right. But he was here all the time, so I thought it didn't matter!"

"Then how did he talk to Ben? You must have heard him if he called him or he must have sneaked out of the house!"

"Honestly, Seth, one of us was always in the same room as him!" she paled, which I hadn't thought a vampire able to, "just once… that were only twenty minutes, I swear and he definitely didn't leave the house! What did he do anyway?"

"He convinced Julia's family that I'm bad company, hell, even Julia thinks that now! She doesn't want anything to do with me anymore!"

"Well, maybe he called someone in those twenty minutes. I heard him take a shower, maybe he just let the water flow so that we wouldn't hear him. I'm sorry, Seth. I really am. But I'm sure we can fix this. Fate wanted you to be together. It won't give up that easily."

Just then the wind brought the scent of Jasper and Archibald through the door. I growled fiercely, turned and phased without thinking about my clothes.

"Seth! Remember what I said!" Leah yelled after me. When Archibald saw me coming, he turned on his heels and fled. He jumped up into the trees again and all I could do was follow him. He fled south and at the borders of Hoquiam I had to give up. I returned into the safety of the woods and howled my frustration, despair and sadness to the sky.

The following night my nightmares came to haunt me despite Jasper's calming presence. Even in the first week after these horrible days, when the memories had still been fresh, Jasper had been able to make me sleep peacefully through the night. Now he wasn't. I could tell that it bothered him, especially since he and Alice felt guilty that they hadn't even noticed when Archibald made that phone call, least of all stopped him. Alice concentrated hard on Archibald's decisions now, but it seemed like he had decided that it was better to stay away for a while. She saw him wandering to Chicago and moving into a flat there. Of course he didn't stick to the vegetarian lifestyle.

When I parked in front of the bakery on Friday, I couldn't muster up the courage to go in at first. I looked into the rearview mirror. Sad eyes with dark circles under them stared back at me and my skin was abnormally pale for a Native American. I guess it was good that I looked as awful as I felt. At least Julia would see then what she did to me – if she was at the bakery today. I took a deep breath and got out of the car. As usual, Susan greeted me cheerfully. I hesitated with my hand on the door knob before taking another deep breath and entering the back room of the bakery. Julia was there and I gasped at her sight.

"What the heck happened to you?"

She had a big black eye that was poorly covered with some make-up, and her right arm was in a cast. My thoughts immediately flashed to only one possible reason: Andy.

"None of your business. Take your cakes and go."

"Julia!" Silke scolded, "You don't have to be rude just because you're not on good terms anymore. Hello, Seth," her voice turned to a warm friendly tone which gave me hope that Archibald hadn't convinced all her family of my 'badness', "How are you? You look awful, if I may say so."

"That's how I feel. My nightmares got worse. I haven't slept more than two hours per night lately."

"I thought you had a friend with some sort of secret recipe that helped a lot?"

"Yeah, that doesn't help anymore."

"Your cakes are ready, but you can sit down and have some free cake if you like. I made the Russian pluck cake you like so much."

Julia glared daggers at her mother.

"Thank you, that would be nice. The market's so exhausting."

I sat down at the small table in the corner.

"I believe that. Here you are. Some coffee, too, to wake you up?"

"Yes, thanks."

I watched Julia while I took the first bites of my cake. She was filling small bags with cookies.

"Did you at least break up with him now?" I finally asked.

She didn't answer. Instead, her mother did.

"No, she didn't. Honestly, Julia, I can't follow your logic. You stay with Andy as if you were glued to him, although he beats you and now even broke your arm, but you dump Seth, who has never been anything but kind and friendly, just because Archie says he's no good?"

"Mom, I told you, I fell down the stairs. It wasn't Andy's fault."

I snorted.

"And you really suppose us to believe that?"

"It's the truth. And don't you dare judge Andy, Seth Clearwater. He, contrary to you, isn't jointly responsible for someone's death."

I sighed.

"If you'd let me explain, you'd know that I," she cut me off.

"I don't want your explanation! You haven't denied it right away, meaning that there's some truth in it. And I don't associate with people who have blood on their hands."

"Julia, I thought I raised you differently! You said yourself that it was obvious that Archie and Seth don't like each other. We've only known Archie for a year and I never liked him very much, nor did I trust him. Contrary to Seth. Yet you believe Archie's words without any doubts. It would be fair to at least hear Seth's point of view of that story."

"Fine," Julia huffed, stopped working and looked at me expectantly.

"Thank you," I needed a moment to think of the best way to start, "Eustace wasn't the innocent victim Archibald wanted you to think he was. And it wasn't exactly a gang warfare either. It's more like a centuries old feud between two," I thought for a second for another word than species, "races. Actually we're natural enemies. We protect our tribe and our friends from them. They're murderers. They kill innocent people while we just kill them to protect our families and friends. One year ago, there was this enemy clan in Seattle. They wanted us to make a treaty with them that involved working for them. But we didn't want to associate with murderers, so we declined. Eustace belonged to them. He was a murderer and he didn't just get in between two rivaling gangs. When we refused their treaty, they kidnapped me and two others and wanted to force us into working for them. They," my voice broke and I couldn't look her in the eyes anymore.

"These days in captivity are the reason for my PTSD. I- I can't go into detail," I paused again because my lips were quivering. I felt a hand on my shoulder and a quick glance told me that it was Silke and not Julia who had come to support me.

"My friends had to gather reinforcement before they could free us because that cov- that clan was quite powerful. When they finally came to our rescue, nearly all our enemies were killed in the process, including Eustace. For one of my brothers who were captured with me the rescue came too late though. They killed him, making his pregnant wife a widow and his children half-orphans."

"Is Archie your enemy, too, then?" Silke asked.

"Yes. If he hadn't moved to Chicago I'd tell you to stay away from him. He can't be trusted and, contrary to me, he really could harm you if he ever lost his control again."

"Again?" she dug deeper. I looked at Julia.

"What do you think was he doing when you cut your finger? Did you really believe that he can't stand blood?"

Julia shrugged.

"He attacked you," I declared, "To be honest, he didn't want to hurt you, or so he told me. But he lost control and you would be dead by now if I hadn't been there."

"Yeah, sure, Archie is some psychopath with multiple personality disorder who runs around killing people! Do you even listen to yourself?"

"Why do you think did he want you to stay away from me so badly, but doesn't make you break up with your abusive boyfriend?"

"He said you were much worse than Andy. Much more dangerous."

"I'm not dangerous at all! I'm a protector for crying out loud! I would never ever hurt you and if you weren't already mad at me I'd be running to Andy right now to teach him to treat you properly!"

"You can't solve everything with violence, Seth. Stay out of my life, I don't need your protection."

I couldn't stand her ice cold stance towards me anymore. I got up and grabbed the boxes with the cakes.

"Goodbye, Silke."

"Goodbye, Seth," she replied sadly. When I had left the bakery I heard her arguing with Julia in German. I felt even more miserable than this morning. Although it was nice to know that Silke was on my side, it was hard to take in that not even my explanation could rock Julia's opinion of me. I drove home carefully, not wanting to crash another car. I didn't tear up this time. It seemed like my tears had dried out. Half way home I was determined to win her back, make her trust me again. I had no idea how to do that yet, but what I did know was that she was wrong. She needed protection against Andy. Therefore I stopped by at Alice and Jasper's. They seemed to have been waiting for me in the living room. As soon as I entered a calming, encouraging wave flooded over me.

"Don't manipulate me right now, Jasper."

"Sorry."

"I assume it didn't go well?" Alice looked crestfallen. I just shook my head.

"I think Andy's becoming more aggressive, although Julia wouldn't admit it. I know you wanted to start school in one week when we can move into the house in Port Angeles, but could you maybe try to get in earlier, as in this Monday? And could you watch Andy's decisions, Alice?"

"I'm already watching Archibald and Aro. If you want me to watch Andy, too, I might miss something from the others."

"Well, reduce your watch over Archibald to a minimum. As long as he stays in Chicago it doesn't matter what he does."

"Okay. We'll register at school on Monday and I can see that we can already start afterwards. You don't know Julia's schedule, do you?"

"No."

"Okay. I'll go have a look on the offered classes and then I'll see which decisions for our schedules lead to classes with Julia."

"Thanks, Alice. Don't make it too obvious and put both of you in all her classes, though."

"Why, thanks for your trust in my wits. There will always be one of us in her class, but we'll split up and only take one or two classes all together."

"Just wanted to make sure. Well then, I've got supplies to deliver. See you tonight?"

"Sure. See you."

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_We're about half way through the story and although there are still some chapters that have to be written, I already can't wait to get the sequel up. Yes, I seem to always say that :D_

_Reviews make me really, really happy. And I'm telling this especially those readers who haven't left a single review yet. I admit that I'm not much of a reviewer myself, but since I know what it is like for the author I'm working on that, trying to review at least once per story and more often if I do have to say more. Please do the same and leave me a few words of feedback. What made you read this far? Guest reviews are always welcome, too._


	17. Chapter 16

_A big thanks to my reviewers, Sarah n, WolvePackForever and Fflamea!_

_Sarah, yours was actually quite long (compared to others). I'm glad you like this so much!_**  
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_WolvePackForever, well, I love your reviews xD  
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_Fflamea, I never intended to stop :)  
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**We're not able to work miracles**

I drowned myself in work and spent my sleepless nights trying to find a way to make Julia change her opinion of me. I couldn't find one. I had been honest to her without revealing my secret and the prize was that she thought I killed humans. The only way to convince her that I only killed what was supposed to be already dead seemed to be to reveal the secret, but there was a high risk that she'd consider me a monster and not a protector. She'd be scared of me. What had I done? Why hadn't I just denied knowing anything about Eustace's death?

"Seth."

I looked up to see Autumn sitting down next to me on the sofa. I had switched on the TV, but I hadn't paid attention.

"I went to see Julia," Autumn said while placing an arm around my back.

"You did?" I asked surprised.

"Yes. She slammed the door in my face at first, but I didn't give up. At the fifth ring of the doorbell, her mother opened and invited me in. She convinced Julia to listen to me."

"And what did you tell her?"

"I told her about me and Embry. What I went through when we met and how he saved me. I told her about the strange pull towards him that I felt at that time. The confidence I had that he was trustable, that I was completely safe in his presence. And I made her admit that she felt something very similar towards you. I'm sorry, Seth, I made her cry. But I think that was necessary. She admitted that she felt bad about her behavior. She can't stop thinking about you. But she's afraid. Not of you, but of your actions and your environment, your 'world' as you once put it. I asked her if she'd judge a soldier for killing other soldiers at war. She denied. I asked her if she'd judge bodyguards for killing an attacker to protect their wards. She denied. But she said that what they do is legal. What you do, on the other hand, is illegal in her mind. It's arbitrary law. And then I told her what you really do."

I jumped up.

"No!"

"Calm down. I didn't tell her what you are. But I told her what your enemies are. I said you were a vampire hunter. That Eustace and Archibald were vampires. At first she didn't believe me. I reminded her of that incident in the kitchen, when Archibald nearly attacked her. I asked her if she had ever seen him eat properly. Ever seen a tiny scratch on his flawless skin. Ever seen him sick. She kept denying that vampires existed, so I left to give her time to think and digest that. Trust me, she'll come around soon."

"Autumn, you probably scared her to death!" I exclaimed unhappily.

"I told her that she's being protected. Even if she kept rejecting you you'd never let a vampire near her."

I hugged her.

"Thank you, Autumn. It sure wasn't easy to tell Julia about your father."

"No, it wasn't. But I can't watch my best mate suffer for much longer."

* * *

On Monday noon Jasper called me.

"Something happened? Is she alright?" I asked worried.

"Hello to you too, Seth. She's fine, or that's what she wants everyone to think. We acquainted ourselves with her and her friends and they invited us to sit with them at lunch. The reason I'm calling is that I'm confused. Didn't you say that Julia's madly in love with Andy?"

"Yes. That's what it looked like."

"Strange, because to me and Alice it doesn't look that way. I can feel her discomfort in his presence and her disgust when he kisses her. She tenses whenever he touches her. She's trying to hide it, but there's a hint of fear in her eyes. I would have thought you'd notice."

"I was sure that she loved him. And I thought her to be strong enough to dump him when she'd had enough of his aggressions. I definitely would have seen fear in her eyes if there had been any. When's Edward coming?"

"Thursday. Okay, Seth, we'll keep an eye on her. Alice is going to follow her after school to watch over her. Don't worry, Andy won't break another bone of hers."

"Thank you," I sighed, wishing that she'd break up with that creep already.

"And sooner or later we'll convince her that you're good. She already likes Alice a lot, because she can speak German."

"Alice speaks German? Do you think she could teach me?"

"Certainly. I'm already late for my next class. See you tonight!"

"Bye."

I sighed. Maybe fate had put Julia and me together a long time ago. And this was fate's way to tell me that I didn't deserve her anymore, what with my broken soul and not even able to protect her from her abusive boyfriend.

Although tired, I couldn't sleep that night. Alice hadn't called once since she said goodbye to Jasper after school.

"Aren't you worried?" I asked Jasper who was sitting in a chair in the corner of my room, not yet willing to give up trying to calm my nights.

"No. She texted me a few times."

"What?" I shot up, "Why didn't you say anything?"

Jasper sighed.

"We don't want to bother you with more worries. Just concentrate on winning her back, we'll care for the rest."

"More worries? Why would I be even more worried? Is it Andy again? Did he beat her again?"

"No."

I fought the calm that wanted to creep over me.

"So? What is it?"

Jasper sighed again.

"Julia is definitely not happy in her relationship with Andy. Not anymore. Looks like it started when he broke her arm."

"Why doesn't she dump him?"

"Because she's afraid of him."

"Then tell her that you'd make sure that Andy stays away from her!"

"We're not that close to her yet. Give us a few days. One of us will always be near her to watch that he doesn't hurt her. But we have to wait for her to trust us before we can convince her to break up with him."

I tore my hair frustrated.

"I want to kick that bastard's ass!"

"You can't do that."

"I know! I wish I could!"

"There's also good news, we think. Julia talked to her German cousin Marie for three hours over Skype. She told her what Autumn had told her and asked for her opinion, especially about the possibility that vampires exist. Right at that moment Marie's brother barged in his sister's room and claimed that he had heard them talking about vampires. And, believe it or not, he confirmed our existence. Actually he had quite some knowledge about us. I wonder where he got all that. He knows how to recognize a vampire. And now comes the most incredible: He asked about you. How you looked like, if Julia had noticed strange things about you and he even asked for details about your first meeting. When she said you had PTSD he got furious that she had broken up with you. He told her to hurry and make it up with you and that you were probably the best that's ever happened to her."

Hope wanted to settle in my heart, but I fought it back, not wanting to believe what Jasper had said.

"You're kidding."

Jasper chuckled.

"No, honestly. The knowledge that guy seems to have about both our species is creepy!"

"How did Julia react to that?"

I was tense. If she hadn't believed her own cousin, who else would she believe?

"Well, her cousin left right after that and ignored Julia's and Marie's questions. The two girls discussed what he had said and came to the conclusion that his words had been both cryptic and incredible."

My heart sank.

"Then again, his outbreak when he heard that you have PTSD made them think that he couldn't have been joking, because he himself has had PTSD and is quite sensitive when it comes to that topic. Though that also makes them think that he only told her to make it up with you because he was furious that she'd even break up with someone who has PTSD and seems to need her."

"So… did Julia say anything about what she's going to do now?"

"She'll sleep on it. She considers talking to Autumn again. She doesn't want to raise your hopes before she's certain that she believes all this stuff. And Marie is going to try and get some more answers out of her brother."

"Did Alice see where these decisions lead them?"

"You know that could still change."

"You won't tell me?"

"Exactly."

I groaned.

"Try to sleep, Seth. There's hope."

"I can raise my hopes?" I asked excitedly.

"Julia and you are meant for each other. It will work out somehow or other."

Hopefully. I had little hope, but it was enough to sleep peacefully for the rest of the night with Jasper's help. I woke up at eleven o'clock. I swear I haven't slept in like that since before my first phasing. Jasper still sat in his chair. He was reading a book.

"Good morning, Seth!"

"Why didn't you wake me? I've got patrol since 8!" I complained.

"Embry already changed the schedule for when you'd be in Port Angeles all the time. He figured with your current trouble and sleepless nights he could spare you the patrols already now. And you definitely needed the sleep, you can't deny that."

"Aren't you supposed to be at school?"

"Yes. I'm sick though."

"Oh, really? You look perfectly fine to me," I joked. Jasper smiled.

"Breakfast?"

My stomach rumbled.

"Great idea!"

"Seth, I don't want to destroy your mood, but your nearly cheery mood actually concerns me. You do remember that we haven't solved your problem yet, do you?"

"Yes," I rolled my eyes, "I can hope though, right? I used to be optimistic, do you remember?"

"Yeah," he chuckled, "I remember."

It cost me a lot of will power to be optimistic right now, but I had to work on my PTSD myself, too. Sure, my friends helped and Julia might help if I got her back, but I couldn't risk losing her again because my moods annoyed her. Therefore I had to work harder on myself, starting today.

* * *

On Wednesday, Julia asked Autumn to meet her in Forks to talk once again. However, she seemed to still be hesitant of what to do, because she made no attempt to contact me. Alice and Jasper watched over her and on Thursday Edward confirmed that Julia didn't want to be with Andy anymore. I had the feeling that the three vampires hid something from me. Therefore I took it upon myself to watch over Julia on Thursday night. I regretted it, because I heard her having sex with Andy. It made me anxious and angry because clearly Julia couldn't really want to have sex with him when actually she wanted to break up. If I had heard a single sound of hurt of her or if she had actually told him to stop and he had refused, I would have jumped through the window and killed him. But as it was, that stupid bloke might just have been oblivious to Julia's changed feelings and thought she was alright with it. From what I heard, he left her unsatisfied and didn't even put any effort into changing that. Asshole.

"I told you you didn't want to watch her," Jasper said smart-alecky. At least he didn't smirk. I would have tried his healing skills in that case.

Luckily I didn't really have to watch it, literally. They were in Julia's room on the second floor and we were in the garden, hiding in the shadows.

"How much longer will it take for you to get close enough to her?" I asked desperately. Jasper shifted his weight uneasily and cleared his throat.

"She's keeping some distance to us. Yesterday she flinched when she touched Alice for the first time and that was when she started to get uncomfortable in our presence. Edward confirmed it today. She's gotten suspicious. Her cousin gave quite a good description of vampires. It confuses her that we don't have red eyes. She thinks either you lied about Archibald – who in her mind had none of the vampire signs at all – or we could be vampires, too."

I groaned.

"And why exactly did you keep that from me?"

"We didn't want to dampen your hopes. Sorry, Seth. Even with our vampire skills and special gifts we're not able to work miracles, you know. We aren't infallible."

I sighed. I couldn't really be mad at them.

"Just… keep trying to gain her trust, okay?"

"That was the plan. We even forced human food down our throats at lunch. Trust me, we're doing what we can to dispel her suspicions."

"How was it?"

"What?"

"The food?"

"Try eating ash and you'll have an idea."

I tried to suppress a grin.

"Glad I amuse you," Jasper said dryly.

"Sorry."

"Andy, you should leave now", Julia said cautiously, "Mom's going to come upstairs soon. I don't want to get grounded again."

"Fine, babe. Do you have to work tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

"Is that redskin still coming every Friday?"

"Yes. Why?"

"I'm accompanying you to work tomorrow."

"Why?" she repeated.

"Make a guess."

"I don't know. What has Seth coming to the bakery tomorrow to do with you coming along with me?"

"I wanna make sure he knows where you belong just as well as you do, dummy."

"He knows that already. We're not even friends anymore."

"Don't argue," he said dangerously. Julia stayed silent after that.

"Night, babe. Love you!"

"Good night, Andy. Love you too," she replied quietly. Footsteps confirmed his leaving. When the front door clapped shut, Julia called for Schneeweißchen. Her bed frame creaked a bit when she lay back down and soon after she started to talk in German. No human had entered her room so I assumed that the cat had joined her. Although I couldn't understand anything, I could tell that her mood improved rapidly. Fifteen minutes later her mom said Goodnight to her. Through the window I could see Julia carrying the white cat to the cat tree before shutting the roller blind.

* * *

_Don't forget to review ;)  
_


	18. Chapter 17

_Thank you for reviewing, Fflamea and WolvePackForever!_**  
**

_Fflamea, I've had nine years of English in school. Since my graduation four years ago I've been reading English books (Twilight, for example) and I often see movies in English, though that's still a little difficult to understand when I haven't seen the movie in German before. That way I expanded my vocabulary and sort of "kept in touch" with the language instead of forgetting everything like I did with my French (and my Spanish, but that was never too good to begin with). I also have to read English texts for college sometimes. I'm lacking some practice in speaking though. You'd probably cringe if you heard me. I've got a really horrible German accent. In my head the sentences sound all nice, but my tongue just won't listen to my brain :D  
_

* * *

**You better leave**

"Are you sure I should stay outside?" Edward asked concerned. He had accompanied me to the market and now we were standing in front of the bakery.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I can handle him."

"Good luck."

I had been debating whether to talk to Julia in private and encourage her to break up or to talk to Andy in private and threaten him to leave her alone. Given Julia's fear talking to Andy seemed much more promising.

When I entered the back room I instantly noticed what Jasper had been talking about. Julia decorated cookie monster muffins at the small table in the corner. She sat in Andy's lap and was tense and stiff.

"Hello, Seth!" Silke greeted cheerfully as always. Julia sent me a slight, cautious smile and glanced nervously at Andy with that hint of fear in her eyes Jasper had mentioned. Andy glared at me and tightened his grip on Julia's waist.

"I'm sorry, Seth, I'm late again. One of the cakes is still in the oven, but it will be ready in ten minutes."

"That's okay, Silke."

She smiled at me.

"You look better than last week."

"I'm feeling a bit better, too."

Instead of sitting down next to Andy and Julia I just leaned against the counter.

"The Advent season is always a busy time for me. People already started ordering cakes and loads of cookies. If you were planning anything special you should order soon and I need the usual orders earlier, too, to avoid supply bottlenecks."

"We weren't planning anything special. Actually we'll keep the Den closed in the afternoons on the Christmas weekend, so we won't need any cakes then."

"Oh, okay."

"Is that really okay? With the contract and all?"

"Yes, totally. I'll be busy enough anyway. Four cakes less will give me a little more time to go gift hunting. What about New Year? Normal routine again?"

"Yes. That will be the last Friday I'm coming, actually. Leah is going to get the cakes from January on."

That was the first time after my entering that Julia paid attention to me.

"Why?" she asked quietly, nearly whispering, and struggled to get out of Andy's tight grip without success, "Is it because of me?"

Actually it was, because she was the only reason I moved to Port Angeles, but I wasn't about to tell her that.

"No, it's not. I'm starting college."

"That's great! Where?" Silke asked.

"It's just the community college here in Port Angeles. Nothing special."

"Are you going to commute between La Push and Port Angeles? That's quite a tour to drive every day."

"No, I'm moving this weekend."

"Will you be living alone?"

"No, I'll share a house with four good friends who've been living across the country and are moving back now."

"That's good. You shouldn't live alone."

"Yeah, I guess."

If I wanted to go through with my plan before the ten minutes were over I had to start now.

"Andy, I'd like to talk to you. In private."

I motioned to the back door. Julia frowned and Silke raised her eyebrows. Andy, however, released Julia from his lap and got up.

"Suits me. I'd like to have a word, too."

"Seth, don't…" Julia trailed off. She was concerned, probably fearing what I could be up to. Andy smirked, possibly thinking that she was worried about me and not him. I couldn't blame him, I didn't understand why she would be worried about Andy after what he did to her either. Andy was already outside when she grabbed my wrist.

"Seth, what are you doing? My relationship with Andy is none of your business! I don't want you to interfere! I don't want to be responsible for you beating a person up! You'll probably just make it worse anyway!"

The fear was back in her eyes.

"Julia. You can refuse my friendship, but you cannot forbid me to protect you. I know Autumn told you that you were still being protected. We will protect you from any harm, not only from our enemies. Look me in the eye and tell me that you still love Andy and that you're still happy to be with him and I'll accept that and leave him be."

She held my gaze and I could see her inner struggle.

"Seth, you don't understand. He won't leave me alone. I – I tried to break up, but he – he threatened me!"

The back door opened.

"Are you coming or what, Clearwater?"

Andy glared at us both. I tried to give Julia an encouraging smile and went outside.

"Sorry. Julia was concerned for your safety."

Andy scoffed.

"Are you telling me that it wasn't Julia in the first place who put you up to this?"

"Yes. She didn't even know. She doesn't want my friendship."

"But you're not giving up, are you? You want more than friendship from her. But she's mine."

"She doesn't want to be with you anymore. Anyone can see that. And you're wrong, by the way. All I want is her friendship and that she's happy. I can't have her friendship at the moment, but I can make her happy by freeing her from your abuse."

Andy snorted.

"And how do you think can you keep me away from her? You wanna fight?"

"Not if it's avoidable. I could accuse you of abuse."

"You have no proof and Julia would never testify against me."

"Yes, unfortunately. So I'll just warn you: Leave Julia alone. Stay away from her. Friends of mine are at your school to protect her and from Monday on they'll not let you in a five feet radius around her. Outside of school there will always be someone close enough to stop you if you try to get to her. You might be aggressive and you might consider yourself strong. But we're stronger."

He looked at me as if I was crazy.

"Who would be these friends of yours? There are no Natives in our classes."

"My future house mates aren't Natives. You'll see who they are soon enough. And you better not underestimate them. You won't get to touch Julia again."

Andy had become angry.

"So you can have her, bastard?" he yelled and lunged at me, his fist raised for a well-aimed punch. I blocked him easily.

"I'm not going to fight you. I would very much like to break every single bone of yours and I would be able to, but I don't want to upset Julia. Just give up already and leave."

He aimed for another punch and I rolled my eyes while blocking it just as easily as the first.

"You better leave, Andy."

We both turned to the back door of the bakery. Even I hadn't heard the door open. Silke stood in the doorway with a stern expression.

"Stay away from my daughter. There are enough people who have witnessed your outbursts and could testify that you hurt Julia."

Andy scowled, but he retreated and left. I headed back into the bakery, only to be caught off guard again by Silke, who hugged me tightly.

"Thank you so much, Seth. I didn't know what to do."

"You're welcome."

Julia sat at the table and cried with her face hidden in her arms. I flinched at that. Shouldn't she be relieved? Silke sat down next to her and rubbed her back soothingly, talking quietly in German to her.

"Was – was I wrong? You wanted to get rid of that bloke, didn't you?" I assured.

Julia raised her head and looked at me with puffy, red eyes.

"You still don't get it, do you? Andy will probably beat me to death next time he sees me!"

"No, he won't. He won't come near you, I promise," I said, still hesitating to approach her.

'Come in, Edward,' I thought.

"Alice and Jasper are my friends and they'll watch over you at school."

"Alice and Jasper?" Julia asked incredulously.

"Yes. I know Alice is tiny, but she can take on Andy."

"But… I thought… so they aren't…" Julia stammered and glanced at her mother. Right then Edward knocked at the door and entered.

"That's Edward, Alice's brother and my stepsister's husband. He'll stay close for the rest of the day and make sure that Andy doesn't come back. You won't see him, he's very discreet. Edward, that's Julia and her mother Silke Reichenbach-Finch."

Julia giggled and I assumed I had pronounced their last name totally wrong, but I was glad that she could already giggle again.

"It's nice to meet you, Julia, and you too, Frau Reichenbach-Finch," he said and suppressed a grin. Coming from him the name sounded just like when Julia had first introduced herself. Silke raised her eyebrows at him and Julia looked surprised too. Edward said something in German and both women smiled brightly. I should have known that he, too, spoke German. How else could he have read Julia's thoughts? Their conversation went on and I grew anxious, because I didn't understand a single word. Edward seemed to be his charming self though. He looked at me and chuckled.

"Maybe we should switch back to English. We're shutting Seth out."

"Yes, you're right. Sorry, Seth," Silke apologized, "Julia, why don't you go home and digest your new freedom. Maybe Edward can give you a ride."

Edward nodded. Julia hesitated.

"I could give you a ride, too," I offered.

"Thanks. I'll ride with you then. No offense, Edward."

"None taken," Edward smiled.

Julia helped me with the cakes and we got in the car. At first Julia stayed silent. She fidgeted nervously with her backpack.

"Seth," she finally started, "Alice and Jasper…and Edward… they're your friends?"

"Yes. I'm moving in with them, actually. Edward was part of the reinforcement that helped to free me one year ago. And Jasper is the friend with the secret recipe for calm nights. I'd trust them with my life."

"But … they look like… I mean… aren't they… v-v-vam," I cut her off as she struggled to name them.

"You don't have to be afraid of them. They're good guys."

"You're doing it again, Seth," she said frustrated.

"What?"

"You avoid giving me a direct answer. Are they or are they not?"

"They're vegetarians. So, yes, they are, but they don't harm humans. They have decades of practice and are in complete control of their thirst. I wouldn't let them help protect you if I weren't 100 percent sure that they're trustable."

I heard Julia's heart beat picking up speed.

"They are?" she squeaked.

"They feed from animals. Alice is able to see the future. So, in the unlikely case that one of them loses control – which I highly doubt – she would see it before it happens and then she'd prevent it from happening. You can trust them. Do you think I'd talk about my natural enemy like that if I weren't completely convinced of it myself?"

Julia stayed quiet for some minutes.

"So, you really hunt them?"

"Yes, whenever one comes too close to the reservation or now Port Angeles."

"How could I defend myself if Alice, Jasper or Edward lost control?"

"You couldn't. You'd have no chance at all."

"Can't you teach me your hunting skills?"

"No. That's not something anyone can learn."

She frowned.

"What does that mean? How did you learn it when it can't be learned?"

"You don't fulfill the required preconditions. I did. But, once again, they won't lose control. If you drew blood by accident when you're with one of them, it would be wise to leave and get some distance in between as to not try their control too much. That's all."

I shuddered as I thought of Jasper's control when it came to a human drawing blood in his presence. I had to have faith in Alice to foresee such an incident.

I pulled onto the side of the road in front of Julia's house and in the rearview mirror I could see Edward in his Aston Martin doing the same behind us.

"Thanks for the ride, Seth."

"You're welcome."

I refused to look at her, afraid that she had gone back into reject-Seth-mode.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly and I couldn't not look at her then.

"What for?" I frowned.

"For calling you a criminal."

"It's okay, Julia. It looked like that from your point of view."

"I'm sorry for something else, too. I don't know if I want to be part of your world. I'm glad and grateful that you and these vegetarians protect me from Andy, but I'd rather pretend that they don't exist. I need time to make a final decision."

"I understand that. Whatever you decide, I'll never let a red-eyed vampire come near you. Just so you know."

"Red-eyed?"

"Vegetarians have caramel colored eyes. I'll also keep those vegetarians away who I don't trust of course."

"Archibald had neither red nor caramel colored eyes."

"That was his special gift. Some vampires have a talent. Like I said, Alice can see the future, Jasper can feel and manipulate emotions and therefore is able to soothe my nightmares and Archibald is able to hide the most obvious vampire signs."

"Does Edward have a talent, too?"

"Yes, actually. Don't freak, okay? He can read minds."

Julia stared at me speechless.

"Your world gets more and more incredible every day," she finally said.

"You have no idea," I muttered, considering that she didn't know yet what I was and what connected the two of us.

"I'll call you when I made a decision, okay? Even when you might not like what you'll hear. I think I owe you that much."

"You don't owe me anything, but thanks. Call my house number or the Den though, my cell phone is broken."

"Alright. Bye, Seth."

"Goodbye."

* * *

_Next update on Monday. Review please!_


	19. Chapter 18

_Thanks so much for the reviews, KittyPimms, WolvePackForever, Fflamea and needsmoreicing!_**  
**

_KittyPimms, yeah, Alice was quite demanding there. I rewrote that part (just a few lines actually). And thanks for pointing out the mistake. I changed that, too. As for Julia's cousin(s)... this won't be the last time we've heard of them. They've got a surprise in store for us.  
_

_Fflamea, I love Scotland! I haven't been there yet, but I definitely want to go there someday. I can imagine that the English have a hard time understanding the Scottish accent. I have a hard time understanding the Swiss who claim to speak some sort of German, too :D  
_

_Thank you also for following and favoriting, needsmoreicing!  
_

* * *

**Stop hating yourself**

The house Alice had found for us was huge. It was painted snow white with the front door, window frames and the front porch being dark red. It was three-story and hidden behind some trees. My room was on the second floor. It was larger than my room at home and I didn't really know how to fill so much space. Alice would be decorating the whole house, except for my room. The walls were a light brown color that matched my fur and the floor was covered by a moss green carpet. My dark wooden furniture looked great with it. I added a few plants and wolf pictures and was quite content with the ultimate result.

Someone knocked at my door and Alice poked her head inside.

"Are you sure you don't need my hel- Wow! I can see that you don't. You can't deny that the forest is your second home, wolf boy. I like it."

She studied the wolf pictures. There was one of Leah, one of Embry and me play fighting and one of Paul. Alice's eyes stayed on the last.

"Do you think it's a good idea to have a photo of Paul in your room, where it will remind you every day?" she asked softly.

"Yes. He gives me strength. A long time I thought he was an angry hothead who only cared about himself and later about Rachel. During these days in that horrible basement room I realized how wrong I was. He was angry and hotheaded, but he had learned to control his anger with Rachel's help. And although he had moved away he cared about us, his pack brothers, and especially me. He said I've always been his favorite pup and it killed him that he wasn't able to protect me. He was proud of me, of what had become of me. His photo reminds me of that and encourages me to fight my issues, because if I didn't fight I know I'd disappoint him."

"I'm sure he fully understands your issues. He'd be proud of you for fighting them."

"Embry keeps saying that I'm the bravest of us all, but I think Paul deserves that title. Before she had me to toy with, Cora tortured him. And he didn't cave in. He didn't break. He faced his death with a smirk."

"Paul was definitely a brave man, too. But Cora didn't go as far with Paul's torture as she did with yours. Stop hating yourself for having broken, Seth."

I stared wonderingly at Alice. Was I hating myself? My self-esteem had definitely seen better times, but self-hatred seemed a bit too strong of a wording. Alice smiled.

"Julia really is good for you. As soon as you two are friends you'll make even more rapid progress."

I frowned. What was she talking about?

"You didn't even realize, huh? You never talked to me about your captivity before. You're opening up, Seth."

I guess she was right. Although I rather talked about Paul's torture and not my own. Laughing lightly, Alice left in her dancing-like walk.

* * *

I stayed close to the High School on Monday. I was anxious because I was sure that Andy wouldn't accept our superiority without trying it. When the last bell rang I was leaning against the hood of Alice's Porsche. Bella was with me. She would follow Julia home and watch over her while I would patrol the town borders.

Students started to pile out of the grey and white building. Bella and I attracted a lot of attention, but that was to be expected, considering our looks and the expensive car.

"God, I'm never going to get used to this," Bella mumbled. She still didn't like being the center of attention.

"You could have stayed hidden," I said.

"I thought it would be better if Julia saw me with you, so that she doesn't get scared when she sees me later without you."

I nodded. Julia left the school building together with Izzy. Alice and Jasper were just a few feet behind them. Izzy spotted me first and pointed at me. Julia turned to look at me with a small frown. She smiled slightly and waved.

"Who's the girl? His girlfriend?" I could hear Izzy ask.

"I don't know. I think he's single, so probably not. Alice, Jasper, do you know the girl next to Seth?" Julia turned back to them.

"That's Bella, his stepsister. Edward's wife," Alice replied.

Julia stared at Bella. Before they parted ways – Izzy and Julia heading to her Mini and Alice and Jasper heading to us – they said their good-byes to each other. Even from the distance I could see that Julia was uncomfortable being so close to the two vampires. Izzy was obviously not in on the secret, because she hugged Alice good-bye like a duck takes to water, completely oblivious that, with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, she practically offered Alice her bare neck. When she hugged Jasper like that, too, I could see him stiffen. Meanwhile, Julia stepped closer to Alice and whispered:

"Is Bella one of you?"

I could hear the incredulity in her voice. She probably hadn't expected my stepsister to be a vampire. Alice nodded. Julia opened her mouth for another question, but Izzy had her attention on them now, so she closed her mouth and pulled Izzy with her to her car.

"Well then," Bella said, "See you, Seth."

She pushed herself off the hood and went over to the Aston Martin.

"Take care," I replied ambiguously. Alice and Jasper reached me right when I spotted Andy among the leaving students. I watched him carefully. He glared at us.

"So, did he behave?"

Alice and Jasper knew immediately who I was talking about. Jasper smirked.

"Only after Alice pinned him to the lockers without effort. You should have seen his face. It was priceless."

He looked at his tiny mate with obvious pride. Alice smiled innocently.

"How about Julia? How is she coping?"

"She doesn't trust us, but since Izzy started to like us she can't really stay away from us without giving her friend a reason. And it seems she wants to spare her the frightening knowledge that vampires exist," Jasper explained.

"And in general?"

"She seems relieved to be free of Andy but at the same time she is pensive and Isabella stated she is more serious than before. Izzy attributed that to her trouble with Andy but I guess our existence plays a huge part in that, too."

"Did she talk about me? With Izzy?"

"No. Maybe she didn't want us to overhear their conversation."

"Everything's going to be fine, Seth," Alice said convinced.

"Did you have a vision that told you so?"

"No, but I didn't have a contrary vision either. Have some faith!"

I rolled my eyes.

"I thought you had retrieved your optimism," Jasper stated.

"I want Julia to be happy. Knowing about vampires is not exactly a happiness trigger. And I'm afraid she'd live a happier life pretending not to know than befriending me and having to accept reality. So whatever she decides in the end has its negative side."

"She could try to pretend that we don't exist, but she would never really forget, especially not as long as she sees us at school every day. Once you have overcome your issues, you'll make her happier than any other man could and she'll learn to live with the knowledge about our existence, just like the other imprints. I think she's already coping quite well. None of the other imprints had to be so close to us right in the beginning."

"Yeah, whatever. I'm going to patrol now."

* * *

On Wednesday afternoon I was watching over Julia myself. She had been doing her homework, but now she was leaving the house and got into her car. I ran to Nessie's Mustang and followed her in a safe distance. Surprised, I watched her pulling onto the driveway of our new house. I parked next to her Mini. She got out of her car and noticed me, equally surprised to see me.

"Alice and Jasper went shopping, if you were looking for them," I said.

"Actually I was looking for you. I guess I'm lucky that you just came home so I didn't have to knock at the door of an empty house."

"Actually it's not empty. Edward and Bella should be home, and two other friends. And it wasn't your luck that made me come home. If I had known that you wanted to see me, we could have both saved the gas of the ride. I was near your house, watching over you."

"Oh. I didn't know. I mean, I thought only your friends were watching over me. You all do a good job at being discreet, by the way. Outside of school I often forget that I'm under constant supervision."

I grimaced.

"You shouldn't think of it as supervision. We rather watch your surroundings and not you yourself, so we're giving you as much privacy as possible."

We were still both standing next to our respective cars. I hesitated to approach her, not sure how she thought of me and what she intended with her visit.

"I thought vampires have super hearing. Can't they hear every word that is spoken inside my house even when they're standing outside?"

"They wouldn't purposely listen though."

"So they haven't heard me talking about you and them with my cousin over Skype yesterday?"

"If they did they haven't told me so. Um, shall we go inside? It's quite cold."

She had started shivering slightly in her thick winter cloak. She eyed my own light clothing and laughed.

"Yes."

As we approached the door she asked, "Why are you only wearing a t-shirt? Have you honestly been outside my house without a jacket all the time?"

"Um, yes. I don't get cold easily."

At least I wore pants and not only shorts.

"Really? You just said you were cold!" she argued laughing.

"No, I said it is cold. I was concerned about your well-being, not my own."

I unlocked the door and held it open for her.

"Tsk. You'll catch hypothermia running around outside like this!"

"Thanks for caring, but I'm perfectly fine. Do you want a hot drink to warm you up? Coffee, tea, hot chocolate?"

"Hot chocolate sounds great."

"Okay."

While she rid herself of her jacket, boots, muffler, beanie and gloves I went to the kitchen. Bella beat me to it.

"I've got that covered, Seth. You want something, too?"

"No, thanks. And you don't have to do this, you know?"

The milk was already heating up in the microwave.

"But I've got nothing else to do. Is she staying for dinner? Edward and I could cook for you two."

"I don't know how long she's staying. Are you bored?"

"No, I just had to get out of the living room. Try playing chess with my family and you'll learn to lose. Jake doesn't care when he loses against Renesmee, but for me it's annoying that my daughter is so much smarter than me."

"You should be proud of her."

"I am! Really, I am, but that doesn't have to mean that I enjoy playing chess with her."

Piano music sounded from the living room now.

"I guess they found something else to entertain themselves."

The microwave beeped and Bella added the cocoa.

"Hi, Edward," I heard Julia say rather shyly. I grabbed the cup from Bella's hand and rushed to the living room.

"Hey, Julia. How are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks."

Edward and Nessie were sitting together on the piano stool and were playing a complex tune together. Jake sat on a couch and had his clasp knife and a small piece of wood in his hands. I handed Julia her chocolate.

"Thanks," she smiled at me.

"You're welcome. Well, since Edward seems to be too occupied to do the introductions, I'll do that. That's Jake. He's Quileute, too, as you may have guessed already. And next to Edward sits Nessie, Edward's and Bella's daughter and Jake's fiancée. Jake, Nessie, this is Julia."

Julia's eyes had widened when I said who Nessie's parents were.

"Nice to meet you," Nessie smiled. Jake nodded and smiled, too.

"Nice to meet you, too," Julia replied, "That sounds really good, by the way."

"Thanks."

I cleared my throat awkwardly.

"Okay, let's go to my room."

Julia waved at the others and followed me upstairs. As soon as I closed my door behind us, the question practically burst out of her.

"Vampires can have children?"

I motioned to my wicker chair for her to sit and sat down on my bed.

"Well, only the males can. Bella was still human when Edward impregnated her. They didn't even know that was possible. So Nessie is actually a half-vampire. Bella's pregnancy and the birth were quite dramatic. Usually the mother doesn't survive. Bella only did because she was turned."

"Oh."

She sipped on her chocolate.

"Is Jake a vampire hunter, too?"

"Yes. Or he was. The Cullens are moralizers and don't like to kill other vampires, even when these others kill humans."

"How can a vampire hunter fall in love with a half-vampire?"

I shrugged.

"I never understood how Bella could fall in love with a vampire either."

"So, is that the reason why you're friends with the Cullens? Because Jacob has romantically bonded with one of them?"

"That's a long story, actually. We already allied with them before Nessie was born. Jake used to love Bella, so when vampires threatened her life both Edward and Jake wanted to protect her. Edward knew that the enemies were too strong for his family, so he accepted our help. And then, when Bella got pregnant, Sam, our leader at that time, wanted to kill her, because we didn't know what exactly was growing inside of her. Of course Jake wasn't very fond of that idea. He stood up against Sam's orders and left our group. I followed him because I thought he was doing the right thing and killing Bella was wrong. Leah also followed us. These weeks were hard. We couldn't return to the reservation and we feared a fight against our friends who we considered brothers. Then Nessie was born and it turned out that she was no threat to humans."

"Jake doesn't look much older than Nessie. How could he have loved Bella before Nessie was born? And how could you have already been a vampire hunter back then, when you, too, don't look much older?"

"Half-vampires grow much faster than humans."

I couldn't tell her my real age yet.

"How do you kill a vampire?"

I sighed.

"I already told you that you could never fight a vampire."

"Yes, I know. But how do _you_ kill them? Do you have to stake their heart?"

I chuckled.

"No. We kill them by ripping their limbs and head out and then burning the pieces."

"Why can they go out at day? Doesn't the sun burn them?"

"No. The sun only makes their skin sparkle. They usually don't show themselves on sunny days."

"So, is anything the stories tell true? Does garlic or do crosses affect them?"

"No."

"Do they have to be invited into a house?"

"No."

"How do you become one?"

"By being bitten without getting drained."

A sad expression appeared on her face.

"Do you remember what I told you about my father's death?"

"Yes. And to answer your next question: Yes, I think it's likely that he was killed by a vampire. I'm sorry," I replied softly. She sniffed.

"Come here," I begged and patted the blankets next to me. She followed my request and leaned against me. I put an arm around her and pulled her close.

"I want to wake up and realize that all this was just a bad dream," she said shakily.

"I'm so sorry. I should have stayed away from you. I knew that you would get involved with my supernatural world sooner or later."

"Don't blame yourself. Somehow, I was already involved before you entered my life, wasn't I? My family calls a vampire their friend, after all. A vampire who would have killed me if you hadn't been there."

"Yeah. Archibald didn't want to kill you though. Eustace was an ancestor of Chris and Ben. So, practically, your family is related to a vampire."

I wiped away a silent tear that ran down her cheek.

"Are you a good hunter?"

"Um, I guess."

"Are you afraid when you face a vampire? Or are you always confident that you can kill him before he kills you?"

"Depends. When we outnumber them I'm quite confident and I'm just afraid that they could escape. Some of them find it funny to jump into the trees and play squirrel so that we can't get to them. When I face one alone, I'd be a fool not to fear for my life. I've taken several down alone, but it's risky. You can never know if they don't have a lethal talent. When we're on patrol all alone and face more than one, it's better to run and find help. Anything else would be suicide."

"After your captivity… were you more afraid than before?"

"The first morning after my rescue, Edward and Jasper came to our house to see how I was doing. I knew they were friends. I'm quite close to Edward actually. Nevertheless I panicked, jumped out of my second-story window and ran off into the woods. The following days I learned not to panic whenever they came close. Some weeks passed before I met the first hostile vampire. Everyone expected me to panic again. Instead, I got angry and killed her with ease. Do I sound like a creep when I say that killing vampires satisfies me?"

"No. After what you went through it just sounds like the natural human desire for revenge. But it's weird to hear you talking about the satisfaction of killing vampires when downstairs are a bunch of vampires who you consider good friends."

"So," I fidgeted nervously, "have you made your decision?"

"Do you think I'd ask for details about them if I wanted to pretend that they don't exist? Call me selfish, but I want the safety your friendship can provide."

I hugged her close again.

"Thanks."

"My cousins are coming for Christmas. Basti wants to meet you. He knows about vampires and I guess he's curious to meet a vampire hunter. Is that okay? Maybe he could also give you advice how to cope with PTSD. He managed to overcome his, after all."

"He knows about vampires?" I asked pretending I hadn't already known that fact, "In that case, I'm curious about him, too."

"Good."

She got up and looked at the wolf pictures.

"There were a lot of wolf pictures at the Den, too. Have you taken them?"

"No. Emily has taken most of them."

"Did a wolf scar her like that?"

I didn't know what to answer. Should I be honest, risking that she got afraid of the wolves? Or should I tell her what everyone who wasn't in on the secret had been told?

"Yes, but that was an accident. The wolves aren't aggressive. Usually they don't attack humans."

"Yeah, you said that before. Emily continued to look for wolves in the forest and take pictures of them, despite the attack?"

"Yeah." Actually she didn't have to go look for us, but, well…

"She's a great photographer. I've never seen animal photos before where the eyes looked so alive and… intelligent. I wonder how she got so close to them. Instead of running away they just look right into the camera. That's amazing."

"My tribe has always honored the wolves. We're kind of close to them."

"I remember that the prologue of the _Wolf's Den_'s menu said something like that. Can you tell me the legend?"

"Not today. But you'll hear them sometime, I promise."

I could tell her the manipulated legend that we told any stranger who asked for it, but that would have felt like lying.

"Them?"

"We have some other interesting legends, not just the one about the wolves."

"Cool."

I smiled weakly. I wondered if she'd still be so intrigued when she learned that the legends were true.

* * *

_Next update on Wednesday.  
_

_I love the recent amount of reviews :) Keep them coming!  
_


	20. Chapter 19

_Thank you for reviewing, Fflamea, KittyPimms, WolvePackForever and Mrs. Calearohte!_**  
**

_Mrs. Calearohte, thank you for making me laugh. Enthusiastic readers like you make up to me for only having 50 something reviews (yes, not even 60 yet). But at least we reached the 50 reviews three chapters earlier than with Roasted Squirrels. That's some progress ;) I hope to write Embry and Autumn's romance eventually, but when this is finished the sequel of this one will be my priority, so you'll have to wait some more. Thanks also for the review for Roasted Squirrels!  
_

* * *

**It's your turn to break down**

Julia sat back down beside me.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"The day we first met… at the Den… why were you suddenly gone? At first I thought you had cut yourself when you broke the glass, but Claire said you were fine."

I cleared my throat nervously.

"That day was the anniversary of my capture. I had some sort of panic attack."

That wasn't quite the truth, but it came close.

"You said you weren't the only one who got captured back then. What about the other one who got out there alive? Does he have trouble to cope, too?"

"No. Dave – you met him at the games afternoon, remember? He was kind of lucky. He had just joined us a few days before the capture, so he was inexperienced, young and, understandably, totally scared. He gave in to them without a second thought and therefore they didn't torture him as much. One of the vampires had the gift to erase the memories of others. The Cullens weren't the only reinforcement my brothers got. There were also some other vampires who had something against my capturers. Red-eyed vampires. They granted the memory-eraser pardon, because they wanted his talent and offered him to join them. They also granted another talented vampire pardon, but that's negligible. When the other vampires were dead, Edward suggested that the memory-eraser could make us forget the past days. That went well with Dave. He doesn't remember anything. But the vampire failed to erase my memory, too. Edward thinks the memories were carved too deep into my soul, too traumatizing to forget."

"That seems unfair."

I shrugged.

"I'm glad for the p-," I had nearly said pup and corrected myself quickly, "for Dave. He was so young. He had just been thrown into the supernatural world, was still wet behind the ears and suddenly he found himself captive of vampires."

"But it was his choice to join you, wasn't it?"

"No. That's not a job you chose. It's a duty, a responsibility, which fate confers on you by providing you with the needed preconditions."

"Everybody has a choice of action. This is a free land."

"A prince doesn't have a choice either. It's in our genes and therefore our duty."

"A prince can renounce the throne."

"But he rarely does. We could renounce our fate, too, but we could never change that we aren't normal humans."

"What exactly are these preconditions?"

"Strength, speed, hot skin, heightened senses – to mention a few."

"And why is that bad?"

I frowned.

"I never said it was."

"Well, but you said you could never change that you aren't normal humans. That sounded like you'd like to change that. Or like you've at least been wishing to change it sometimes."

"I sometimes wish I could live a normal life. Other than that I don't have a problem with my special abilities. I found it pretty cool in the beginning. But some of my brothers weren't so fond of their changes, especially in the beginning. It definitely has its downs apart from the duty to protect the tribe. One and a half years ago I would have said I wouldn't have my life any other way. The captivity changed my point of view. It will always be a shadow on my life, but I'm starting to think that the day will come again on which I can say that I'm happy and that I have a good life."

Julia squeezed my shoulder.

"Certainly."

"So, what exactly happened between you and Andy?"

Julia looked away.

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?" I frowned.

"You're too protective."

"So what?"

"I'm afraid of what you'd do if you knew the details."

I already knew that he had broken her arm. What could be worse? I cupped her cheek and turned her face so that she had to look at me.

"You're scaring me. What did that bastard do?"

"See? That's why I can't tell you."

Her eyes started to glisten with unshed tears. Then it clicked inside my head.

"He forced you to have sex with him, right? He… he raped you," I whispered the last part. Her tears started to flow and I growled lowly, clenching my fists and fighting the urge to phase. Julia's first sob reminded me that she probably needed consolation right now and not an angry, scary shape-shifter. I pulled her onto my lap, hugged her and rubbed her back soothingly.

"I wasn't ready yet," she cried, "But he pushed me. After he broke my arm I was scared and gave in. He didn't hurt me, but it wasn't as good as everybody says it is either. Every time we did it I liked it less. I'm so ashamed for giving in in the first place. In the end I felt disgusted, by him and by myself."

"I know," I muttered without thinking.

"You do? How would you know?" she asked quietly, disbelieving but not accusing. I cursed inside my head.

"We've been talking enough about me and my issues for one day. Your turn now."

"Well, but I've been the only one crying my eyes out here. So it's actually your turn to break down."

If only she knew how close I already was to tears.

"I'm a guy. We're supposed to stay strong and not break down."

"Come on, Seth," she said determinedly," I opened up to you and told you. You can't give a hint like that and shut your walls back down afterwards."

"Let's stick to the truth here, okay? I had to _guess_ what bothered you. And only when I had enunciated it did you start talking."

She folded her arms.

"Okay. I'll make a guess, too, then. You can only know what it feels like to be abused sexually if you've experienced it yourself. You've been raped, haven't you? And I make another guess: It was a vampire."

My heart beat had sped up and my hands started to sweat. I closed my eyes in an attempt to calm down, but immediately the cruel smirk of Cora appeared in front of me.

"Seth?" Julia asked softly and touched my arm. I jerked back, unable to differentiate between reality and the memory that replayed in my head. I curled into a ball on my bed and cried without restraint.

"Shhh, Seth, it's okay. You're safe. It's just me. Shh."

My door burst open and a flood of the sickly sweet vampire scent entered the room. I curled even more into a ball and whimpered. I noticed that I trembled with fear, awaiting the pain to come.

"Everything's fine. Nobody wants to hurt you anymore."

I concentrated on that sweet, caring voice that I couldn't relate to a person at the moment. It sounded like an angel. It sounded so convincing. I desperately wanted to believe it.

"Shh. You're safe. It's just a bad memory. It can't hurt you physically anymore."

I felt myself calming down. My heart beat approached its normal rate again. Without looking up I reached one hand out in the direction of the angel's voice. A small hand grabbed it and squeezed it. The blankets rustled and another hand rubbed my back.

"Continue crying for a while. Let the tears carry some of your pain away."

Slowly my conscious came back to reality and told me that my angel was my imprint. I followed her advice and continued crying until there were no tears left. I kept my eyes closed for a few more minutes.

"I better leave you to yourself now. I'm sorry. I'll never press you like that again. See you soon, I guess."

I grabbed her hand tighter and sat up.

"Don't go," I breathed, looking at her desperately.

Julia sat back down.

"Okay. I thought you'd prefer to be alone now."

"No. I want to hold your hand a little longer."

She smiled. Only then did I notice Edward, Jasper and Jake who were standing in the doorway.

"Thanks, Jasper," I said, assuming that he had helped to calm me down. He raised his hands in denial.

"I didn't do anything. Julia had everything perfectly under control. I just stayed to make sure that she really didn't need my help."

"The girls went hunting. Your secret is still safe," Jake declared. I sighed relieved. Embry, Jake, Edward, Jasper, Autumn and now Julia were already more people than I actually wanted to know.

"Come on, guys, he's okay now. We should leave," Edward decided and pushed Jasper and Jake out of the room. He closed the door behind them. I pushed myself backwards till I sat against the headboard of my bed and pulled Julia with me.

"I'm so sorry," she repeated.

"It's okay. Not even I did see that panic attack coming. I thought I was ready to open up to you. Maybe we should have started talking about the rest of the torture instead of picking out the worst part first."

"I'm sorry."

"It wasn't your fault!"

"Is that…" she started before shaking her head, "God, I should keep my mouth shut."

"What were you about to ask?"

"Nothing."

"Yeah, sure. We both know you wanted to ask something. Shoot."

"No. I don't want to cause yet another panic attack."

"You won't."

"You don't know that. You didn't see the other one coming either."

"I've talked about the rape before without panicking. And at the moment I feel perfectly at ease. Knowing what happened might make it easier for you to handle future panic attacks. Ask your question."

Julia sighed.

"Okay. On your own responsibility."

I nodded.

"Is the rape the reason you stopped dating?"

"Yeah," I admitted.

"You know, it's very rare that a woman rapes a man. And a girl who loves you wouldn't hurt you anyway."

"I'm not afraid that a girlfriend could rape me, too. I could easily fight off any human girl. I'm just… not man enough anymore, I guess. I'm afraid that I would panic if I got intimate with a girl and she'd touch me in certain ways Cora did. And I'm afraid my insecurities would let me fail when I tried to have sex."

I blushed so deeply even my Quileute skin couldn't hide it.

"Well you don't have to get intimate right away. Weeks, even months could pass where you just make out, giving you the time to get used to her closeness and her touches and before you know it your body will claim more."

"Are you sure you're not a guy?" I asked teasingly.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure about that," she chuckled. She raised our entwined hands a bit and stared at them.

"You know, sitting on a bed and holding hands is something a boy and a girl usually only do when they're together."

"Yes, but I'm not seeing you that way. Does it make you uncomfortable to hold my hand?"

"It's just a little awkward. You know I just broke up with my boyfriend. But… I don't know, it feels right to hold your hand."

"Good. Because your hand is like an anchor. It pulled me back into reality earlier and now it's keeping me from drifting back into the rough sea of black memories."

"Okay. I'm going to need my hand back in the evening though."

"As long as I can have it until then that's fine with me."

Julia started to investigate my hand and arm.

"Don't you have _any_ battle scars? I haven't seen any on your bare chest or back either when you weren't wearing a shirt. You can't have gotten out of all your fights with vampires without any injuries."

"No, that's true. But my wounds don't scar long. I heal fast. The scar that stayed the longest was visible for a year I think. Flesh wounds are rather rare anyway. Broken bones are much more common."

Fear crossed her face.

"You should retire."

"Yeah, in a year or two."

"No, now. Today!"

"Are you worried about me?"

"Of course! You're my friend! And who's going to protect me if a vampire kills you?"

"The pa-," I quickly corrected myself, "My friends will always protect you if something happened to me. You don't have to worry. I'm good at what I'm doing. In all these years, Paul was the only one of us who got killed."

"Did he die in a fight?"

"No. He was the third one who got captured. The one who didn't survive. He's also the one with anger issues. Remember that I told you about him?"

"Yes. Did they torture him to death?"

"Um, kind of, if you consider their venom a torture instrument. They bit him. We're immune to the venom as long as our system isn't affected by other injuries. Paul was weak and injured from the previous tortures, the little food they gave him and probably also because of a brain tumor that would have killed him a few weeks later. Hid body wasn't strong enough to fight the venom and since we can't turn into vampires, it killed him."

"Is there an inoculation against vampire venom available?"

I chuckled.

"No."

"Do you think there are more myths living among us without our knowledge? Like witches and werewolves and leprechauns and whatnot?"

"I know for a fact that werewolves are not a mere product of human imagination. They're said to be extinct in Europe and there's no evidence that there's ever been one in America, but maybe they're still somewhere out there in Africa or Asia or right under our nose or under the nose of the Volturi."

"Who are the Volturi?"

"They kind of rule the vampires. They live in Italy and they eradicated the werewolves in Europe. They've also caused the Cullens some trouble in the past. It came close to a fight and we sided with the Cullens. Last year the Cullens sort of contracted a friendship with them. That coven who captured Dave, Paul and me was planning to overtake the power over the American vampires. That's why a few vampires of the Volturi guard came to help freeing us. They were the ones who granted two of the enemies pardon. If they wouldn't secretly fear the Cullens I'm sure they would have eradicated us by now, too."

"If they ruled the vampires, why would they fear the Cullens?"

"The Cullens are a powerful coven. The second most powerful right after the Volturi. Vampire covens usually are rather small. They travel in groups of two or three or alone. Four vampires would already be considered a large coven. The Cullens consist of eight vampires, a half-vampire and a vampire hunter. But it's not only their size that makes them powerful. These special talents are rather rare. Five out of nine Cullens are talented and their talents are quite powerful. Bella has some sort of a mind shield that allows her to protect herself and anybody around her from attacks against the mind. For example, two of the highest ranked Volturi guards have talents that attack the mind. Jane can project pain and her twin brother Alec can numb all your senses. Bella can make their talents useless. The Volturi are used to outnumber their enemies and they depend a lot on the talents of these twins. They shun an even fight. Bella's not the only one who makes the Cullens a difficult enemy though. Edward can read the opponents' minds and knows their strategy. The mind reading makes him a good fighter, too. Alice can see the next move of the opponent and therefore is also a good fighter and can foresee the enemies' tactics. Jasper is an experienced fighter, Emmett is stronger than other vampires. Another advantage is their relationship. They're like a true family. As I said, vampires usually don't assemble in large groups. The Volturi have a large guard, but they aren't a family. They're much more likely to break apart. To sum it up, if the Cullens weren't so uninterested in power the Volturi would have long killed them in fear of being dispossessed."

Julia shuddered.

"Sorry. I didn't want to scare you. The Cullens are on good terms with the Volturi at the moment. And since we're well known among the vampire popularity and we barely hunt outside the Olympic Peninsula the Volturi are of the opinion that any vampire enters our territory on his own risk, so they don't see the need to attack us and risk a fight with us _and_ the Cullens."

Julia nodded with a weak smile.

"Enough vampire stories for today. I feel like I fell into the middle of a movie. As if the existence of bloodthirsty vampires wasn't enough you just had to add a feud between the good vamps and the bad vamps. Great."

She buried her face in my side.

"And I haven't even gotten into the details of the feud yet," I chuckled.

Her cell phone rang and she jumped. She looked at the caller ID before she picked up.

"Shit! That's Chris!" she cursed lowly before continuing loudly and innocently, "Hi Chris!"

"Julia, are you alright?" he asked quickly with clear concern in his voice.

"Yes, I'm fine. Why?"

"Why? You leave a note saying you're going to Seth and you'd be back for dinner and now it's a quarter past dinner time and you're not here yet! Considering Seth's background I was close to panicking! I was concerned, young lady!"

"I'm sorry, we completely lost track of time."

"I thought I made it clear that I didn't want you to see that Clearwater guy again!"

"Mami allowed it. Seth is a good guy. Archie twisted the truth to make you think badly of Seth. He protects me from Andy."

"Come home now, we'll discuss that with your mother."

Julia sighed.

"Okay. I'm coming."

She hung up and looked at me sadly.

"I've got to go."

"Yeah, I know. But you'll come back, won't you? Your Mom will let us be friends. Right?"

"I think so. If not, Izzy will certainly back me up so that I can see you nonetheless. I can see that you need me for your recovery just as much as I need your protection. I won't let my parents get in between us."

"Thanks."

We went downstairs and only there did I reluctantly let go of her hand. She had already reached her car when she turned around.

"How can I get a hold of you? Is your cell working again?"

"Uh, no, I'm going to buy a new one tomorrow. Call Edward. Or just go into your garden. I'll be there until tomorrow morning."

She grinned.

"Do you need a ride?"

"I don't want your father to see us and get even more angry with you. I'll follow close behind you."

"Okay. See you Friday?"

"At the latest."

* * *

_I'm looking for a beta reader for the sequel (short summary on my profile)! It will take about four weeks until Sunny Side Up is complete, so there would be plenty of time to proofread the sequel. If you are good at spelling and grammar and you would like to help me, please PM me. You don't necessarily need a beta profile ;)  
_

_Next update on Friday! Don't forget to review!  
_


	21. Chapter 20

_Thanks for the reviews, Mrs. calearohte, WolvePackForever, Fflamea and KittyPimms! _

_Mrs. calearohte, you got a wrong impression of my writing process. The reason why I can update "every other day without disappointment" is that I only start posting a story when it's finished or, as in this case, two thirds finished and the other third planned out __well enough. I hate to read a story with no ending. Sometimes I don't finish my works either and I wouldn't want to disappoint my readers. Therefore I'm only posting when I'm confident that I'll finish the story. But, just like you, I have days where the ideas flow easily and then there are days where I seem to be running against a wall because even when I try I don't make any progress. Hopefully I won't have too many of the latter ones in the next weeks because then I might not be able to maintain my usual update frequency. I will actually have to change the update days next week because I'll be gone for four days. Sorry in advance.__**  
**_

* * *

**Like Hulk**

As I closed the door of the Mustang, I could already hear Chris's angry voice.

"Well, finally! You'll never see that guy again!"

"Chris," Silke tried to calm him down, but he didn't let her go on talking.

"How could you allow her to meet him? How could you risk your daughter's safety like that?"

"I'm safer with Seth than with anybody else!" Julia objected.

"Seth is a good guy," Silke added.

"Oh, really? And Archie just made up the whole story about Seth's criminal gang?"

"They aren't criminals. Archie is the dangerous one, not Seth!" Julia argued.

"Archie is _not_ dangerous! He's my best friend," Ben chimed in.

"Then why did he suddenly move to Chicago?"

"Because he was scared of Seth! Seth threatened him!"

"Well, but a friend doesn't attack your sister!"

"What? When did Archie ever attack you?"

"When Seth was here. Ben, you can't really believe his flimsy excuse. People who can't stand blood get dizzy, faint or puke, but Archie rushed towards me. If Seth hadn't stopped him, I'd be six feet under now."

"That's ridiculous. Why would Archie kill you? Right in front of me and Seth?"

"Because that was a dark part of him that he can't always control. Like Hulk, just not as green and not triggered by anger, but by blood."

Someone snorted.

"Julia, there is no such thing as a Hulk or a person with an uncontrollable dark side," Chris reasoned.

"Yes, there is. Call it multiple personality disorder or something like that. Archie is dangerous. And Eustace was, too. He wasn't as innocent as Archie wanted us to think."

"So you admit that Seth's gang killed Eustace?"

"No, they didn't. A higher power did, to punish him for his crimes, one of which was complicity in kidnapping and torturing Seth."

That silenced them for a moment.

"That's what Seth says," Chris stated.

"Yes. And I _know_ that he spoke the truth."

"How?"

"Basti confirmed the existence of people like Archie and Eustace. He warned me of Archie and told me to stick to Seth for protection. That's what Seth's _gang_ does. They protect."

"Seth really is a good kid, Chris," Silke chimed in again, "He's caring, kind, polite and so modest despite his success at such a young age. When he told Andy off, he had the perfect opportunity to beat him up. Andy provoked him and tried to start a fight, but Seth just blocked his attacks. That didn't look like the behavior of a dangerous criminal to me."

"Seth's stepfather is Chief of police. One of his _gang_ members is a police officer, too. Clearly they wouldn't commit crimes right under the eyes of the police. Seth's mother is a tribal elder. Their former _gang_ leader is a tribal elder. Seth's roommate's grandfather is a tribal elder. The tribal council highly honors the _gang_. They're protectors! Get that into that pighead of yours!"

"Don't talk to me like that young lady!" Chris scolded, "You're grounded for a week. Maybe that can teach you some respect. Invite Seth for dinner. Ask your mother for an appropriate date. Other than that call to invite him, I don't want you to meet or communicate with Seth until I had the chance to talk to him and make up my mind if I can allow you to befriend him or not. Did I make myself clear?"

"But Mom allowed it already! You don't even have custody of me!" Julia objected.

"Should I make it two weeks?"

"Let's compromise here, okay?" Silke intervened, "You invite Seth for dinner and until then you don't go to see him. Calls or online chats are alright. And, Julia, I approve of the grounding. You can't speak like that to Chris."

"Fine," Julia huffed.

The TV went on and someone went upstairs.

"There are leftovers from dinner in the kitchen, honey. Invite Seth whenever you like. Tomorrow, maybe, to get it over with."

"Okay. Mami?"

"Ja?"

"Seth's cell phone is broken. I can't call him. But I know that he's outside right now, to watch over me. Can I go ask him in person?"

"Sure. Don't take too long though."

"Can I bring him some dinner, too? I don't think he's had any."

"Yes, do that. That way we'll at least get rid of the leftovers."

"Thanks."

Five minutes later Julia stepped out of a side door with a plate in her hands.

"Seth?" she whispered. I jogged over to her.

"Hey," I smiled.

"Here, I thought you might be hungry."

"I am. Thank you. How did it go with Chris?" I pretended ignorance.

"I shall invite you for dinner so that he can have a talk with you. Are you free tomorrow?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Okay. Be here at half past six."

I nodded.

"I don't want Chris to catch me here with you, so I'll go back inside. Just set down the plate next to the door when you're finished. I'll get it later."

"Alright. Good night, Julia."

"Good night," she hugged me, cautiously avoiding the plate in my hands.

* * *

When I rang the doorbell the next day at half past six sharp, wearing my best jeans and a blue and white button-down shirt, it felt like one of those horrible clichéd "meet-your-in-laws-for-the-first-time" dinners. Of course it wasn't, because although they would most probably become my in-laws eventually, they themselves didn't know that yet. Julia and I weren't even dating. Also, I would meet neither one of them for the first time. My first meeting with Chris had been rather short, but we weren't complete strangers. Yet I had to make a good impression and convince him that I was good enough to be Julia's friend.

Thankfully, it was Julia who opened the door.

"Hey!" she smiled nervously and looked me up and down. She seemed to be nearly as nervous as I was.

"Wow, handsome!" she complimented and hugged me.

"Thanks. How are you?" I asked.

"Fine. What about you? You look like you had a short night again."

I had been watching over Julia until midnight. I had had all day to get some sleep, but my mind had been occupied with thinking, worrying about the outcome of today's dinner.

"Yeah, I didn't sleep that well."

Chris joined us in the hallway.

"Hello, Seth," he said coolly. I shook his outstretched hand.

"Good evening, Sir."

He led us into the dining room.

"Julia, why don't you go help your mother in the kitchen?" he suggested. She left reluctantly, but only after shooting me an encouraging glance. Chris motioned to one of the chairs.

"Please, take a seat."

I sat down. Chris kept standing and I felt even more like a suspect in the interrogation room.

"My wife said that you're the owner of the _Wolf's Den_, together with your sister."

"Yes, I am."

"How old are you?"

"Nineteen."

"Is it a family business? Did you take over from your parents?"

"No, Sir. We established it ourselves."

"At such a young age? How did you get the money for that?"

"Friends have funded us. The Den is going very well, so we're making good progress in paying them back."

"I've already heard of the Den several years ago. Did you open the Den when you were still in High School, maybe even Middle School?"

Oh God, I didn't like where this conversation was going.

"My sister is 30. In the beginning, she did most of the work, but I was joint owner right from the start and I quickly took over the paper work," I half-lied.

"And now you want to start college?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Why only now? Why didn't you go right after graduation?"

I cleared my throat uncomfortably. I had prepared an answer for that kind of question, but I was afraid of the questions that might follow.

"My trauma got me off course. I was kind of apathetic for a while. I drifted from day to day, not really thinking about the future. I just focused on getting through the day and through the night without too many panic attacks and nightmares."

Chris had the decency to look compassionate and not dig for more information about my captivity or my trauma.

"But you're better now?"

"Yes. I hadn't made any improvements for a while when I met Julia. I don't know how, but she has a way to make me feel better and now I'm improving again."

"That capture… that had something to do with that gang of yours, didn't it?"

Oh no, did he want to dig deeper now?

"We aren't a gang," I evaded.

"What are you then?"

"We're the tribe's security squad."

"What, like some sort of police?"

"Not exactly. We don't have as many rights. But we protect the tribe as good as we can."

"If you're only protecting your tribe, what have you been doing in Seattle?"

"Our friend and former colleague was living in Seattle. He had gone missing. All the police found was his gutted car, but there were no human remains inside. The police was at a loss, so we went to Seattle to search for him ourselves."

"What exactly happened when you were there?"

Julia entered with a bowl of spaghetti with meat balls.

"Please, Chris, don't force him to talk about his capture."

She laid a soothing hand on my shoulder.

"I want to hear his version of the story how Eustace got killed. He won't get out of it," Chris said adamantly.

"You don't know what you're asking of him with that! It's difficult for him to talk about it with people he knows and trusts and you're a stranger! You can't," I interrupted Julia's rant.

"It's okay, Julia. I can give a rough report. Can you stay here with me?"

She sat down next to me and took my right hand in both of hers.

"Among certain circles it's well known that my tribe has a special secret defense system. Paul – the friend who went missing – had been kidnapped by a criminal gang, which Eustace was a member of. Unfortunately they got a hold of me and another colleague, too. They tried to torture us into spilling the secret, so that they would be able to use it against their enemies. They wanted us to work for them and side with them against their arch enemies. But we don't side with murderers. Fortunately, my brothers – I mean my colleagues – were able to get reinforcement and free us. They were too late for Paul though. He had already been killed by our capturers. Of course, the criminals didn't just surrender. They fought back and most of them were killed, including Eustace."

It was easier to tell a twisted version than the truth. However, my heartbeat had sped up and I grabbed Julia's hand tightly, needing my anchor to hold me in the present and keep me from drowning in my past.

Silke called for Ben and everyone sat down for dinner. Silke smiled warmly at me and filled my plate generously. Ben glared at me the whole time. Chris kept silent and I couldn't help but glance at him every few seconds, trying to figure out if he believed me. He was unreadable though.

"Was Archibald part of that gang, too?" he finally asked.

"I don't think so. At least I never saw him back then."

"Then what makes you think that he's dangerous, too? You warned Julia about him, didn't you?"

"I _know_ that he's dangerous. He has a very rare psychotic disorder. It's an urge to kill people. He can't always control it. It sounds odd, but drawn blood breaks his control down. That's why he attacked Julia when she cut herself. He didn't want to attack her. I'm sure he regretted it immediately afterwards. But that doesn't change that he did and that he could lose control again anytime."

"I've never heard of such a psychotic disorder."

"Yes, most people haven't. Most physicians and psychologists haven't either. I don't even think that there's a scientific name for it yet. But my tribe has known about it for centuries. We know that there's no cure. Some people manage to get a decent control over their urge, but that takes a long time."

"Why should we believe you and not Archie?" Ben asked.

"Because your common sense tells you that Archibald acted weird when Julia cut her finger. Someone who can't stand blood avoids blood and doesn't rush towards it. You saw that I had to practically drag him out of the room. He accuses me of being a criminal, right? Well, go to the police and ask them, I have a clean record!"

We stared each other down with grim expressions.

"Call it quits, Ben. I think he's alright. Although this disorder is probably just a part of his tribe's mythology and he imagined Archie to have matching symptoms."

I was about to protest and clenched my fists to control myself. Julia reached over and laid a hand on mine. I gave her a small, grateful smile.

"Does that mean I'm allowed to befriend him?" she asked Chris.

"Yes. For the time being. If I realize that he's got a bad influence on you, your friendship will be over quicker than you can say Quileute. Understood?"

"Yes," Julia rolled her eyes.

Ben and Chris retreated to the TV and I helped Julia and Silke to clear the table.

"You really don't have to do that, Seth. You're a guest!" Silke objected.

"It's okay. I don't mind," I replied.

"Honestly, I can't allow this. Just go upstairs, you two. I can handle this alone."

"But, Mom, I'm still grounded. What about the grounding rules?" Julia frowned.

"Invalid for tonight. Now go already, before I change my mind!"

Julia grinned and pulled me with her to her room. Schneeweißchen immediately fled the room, closely followed by a black tom-cat.

"Uh, yeah, that was Aramis, by the way," Julia said, "It's really strange that they all flee from you like that. I mean, Schneeweißchen is always cautious with strangers, but she usually just stays in her condo. But Aramis is curious and likes to cuddle with any willing person, whether he knows them or not."

I shrugged.

"Like I said, cats don't like me."

Julia shook her head disbelievingly.

"Oh, Ronja! You're still here!" she exclaimed happily when her eyes spotted the tortoiseshell cat on a high platform of the cat tree with her back arched, staring at me. I watched her carefully, too. I hadn't forgotten the story about the neighbor's dog. Ronja stayed where she was. She really was brave.

"You did very well down there," Julia smiled at me.

"I had to. I couldn't lose you again."

"It must be difficult to live like that. I mean, you risk your life to protect humans from vampires, yet you can't tell anybody besides really close friends. You've got to be always lying to people."

"Yeah, I guess I lie a lot. Usually I just keep quiet though. Thanks to Archibald, I couldn't just keep quiet in this case."

"If it weren't for Archibald, I'd still be clueless, too, wouldn't I?"

"Probably."

She groaned.

"That bloodsucker screwed everything up! I could still be thinking that vampires are a mere myth! Instead I've got to go to school with them!"

I approached her worried.

"Does that still bother you?"

"I don't know. I mean, they're some sort of friends but I just can't get the fact out of my head that they could sink their teeth into my neck any time! I don't like when Alice touches me. It's like death itself reached out for me."

She shuddered and I embraced her.

"I'll tell her not to touch you anymore. Is it different when Jasper touches you?" I asked incredulously.

"No. He just never touches me. We hug, but our skin never touches."

"Are you okay with hugging them?"

"No. I want to be comfortable with them, but I can't help but think about how close their teeth come to my neck when we hug. But I can't just stop hugging them. Izzy would get suspicious."

"You can trust Alice and Jasper. They won't hurt you."

"I know. But the possibility that one of them loses control is there, isn't it?"

"That's a very low possibility. Plus, Alice would see it coming and prevent it from happening. Honestly, you're safe with them."

She sighed.

"Why can't you go to school with me?"

"I'm too old for high school," I chuckled.

"They're way older than you."

"Nobody knows that."

"Julia!" Silke yelled from downstairs, "It's a school night! You know what that means!"

Julia sighed again.

"You've got to go."

"Will you be at the bakery tomorrow or aren't you allowed there when you're grounded?"

"I'll be there," she hugged me tight.

* * *

_I'm not really content with this chapter. I feel like I'm repeating myself with the arguments. Next chapter will be better again!  
_

_I'm done with finals! Now all I have to do is wait for the results... oh and write of course ;)  
_


	22. Chapter 21

_Thank you for the reviews, Fflamea, WolvePackForever and Mrs. calearohte! Your support really means a lot to me._**  
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**A favor out of pure friendship**

"Seth! My hero!" Izzy greeted me the next day when I walked into the back room of the bakery. She and Julia were molding small crescent-shaped cookies from dough. I smiled uncertainly at her.

"Your hero?" I asked.

"Yes, of course! You freed my best friend from the biggest mistake of her life! Plus, you're going to save me from the dilemma Julia left me in."

"I am?"

Julia chuckled.

"He won't," she told her friend.

"Seth, your cakes are ready," Silke chimed in, "but you can stay for a while if you like."

"Thanks," I said sitting down at the small table. "How was your day, Julia?"

"Just the usual," Izzy answered for her and Julia looked at her with raised eyebrows, but didn't get to say anything herself as Izzy already continued. "Now, Seth. You seem to be a kind guy. Surely you would do a damsel in distress a favor, wouldn't you?"

Julia silently shook her head.

"Well, that depends on the kind of distress, I guess," I replied evasively.

"Alright, listen. There are always two parties in December and all the students of our school go to at least one of them. One is organized by the school. There's music and surely a lot of fun, but no alcohol. Freshmen, some sophomores and a few conservative juniors and seniors go to that party. The other one is held by Drew Upton, a senior and captain of the basketball team. Everyone over sixteen who cares about his reputation goes to his party. The school's party is today, Drew's is next Saturday.

Unfortunately, Silke and my Mom have agreed that we're not allowed to go to Drew's, because of all the alcohol that we'd have easy access to and because of one or two hundred drunken boys who could take advantage of us. I would have made up an excuse and sneaked to the party nonetheless, but Julia is too well-bred to do that. We had wanted to at least go to the school's party. Now Julia got herself grounded and isn't allowed to go anymore. It's been ages since I was at a party and I really, really want, no I need to go to one soon or I'll get a serious depression. Would you please, pretty please with sugar on top, go with me to the school's party tonight? I can't go to the loser's party alone, but if I went there with _you_ my reputation would be saved even though I won't be going to Drew's. And, of course, the depression would be delayed a few weeks."

I was amused by her feigned desperation and barely managed to suppress a grin.

"I'm sorry, Izzy, but I don't date."

She looked at me as if I had grown a second head.

"You know, that is quite selfish of you. There are so many lonely girls out there who either have to date pimpled losers or get their hearts broken over and over again by players, because there just aren't enough guys out there who are both hot and know how to treat a girl properly. And you, perfect boyfriend material, refuse to date?"

"I'm flattered, but I'm not that perfect. I have my reasons why I don't want a relationship at the moment."

"Namely?"

"That's private."

She looked at me shortly, contemplating her next words.

"Well, okay, it doesn't have to be a date. We could just pretend to be on a date. Or we just go as friends."

"I don't party either."

"There won't be any alcohol so it's not the usual kind of partying. Just some dancing and chilling, laughing about the nerds' attempts to dress up and dance… completely innocent fun."

I couldn't help but laugh. She really was persistent.

"I don't really enjoy myself on events where you're supposed to have fun. Birthdays, wedding anniversaries, random parties… all that just isn't my thing. I'm sorry."

She pouted and came to sit on the other chair by the table. She leaned over to me and stared into my eyes.

"Do you want to be responsible for both my depression and my tattered reputation? You already are responsible for Julia's grounding and therefore it's your fault that I can't rely on Julia to go with me. It's practically your duty to make up for that and replace her as my party buddy."

"Hey, the grounding is my entire fault!" Julia objected. "Don't you make him feel guilty for that."

"Why don't you sneak out to Drew's party alone? You wouldn't need an escort to save your reputation there," I suggested.

"Well, firstly, Silke would warn my mother and then I wouldn't get the chance to sneak out. Secondly, Drew lives on the other side of town and there are no buses in the middle of the night. I can't walk home all the way alone in the darkness, so I would have to take my car. But then I couldn't drink alcohol and being on a party where everyone but you is drunk just isn't any fun."

"Well, I'm sorry, but I can't help you out of your _distress_. You'll have to find someone else."

Izzy leaned back in her chair and folded her arms in a huff.

"How old are you exactly, Seth?" Silke asked kind of randomly.

"Nineteen. Why?"

"Oh, I thought you might already be 21. But due to the Den you must have easy access to alcohol although you can't legally buy any yet. Do you drink a lot? Be honest here."

"I have a few beers now and then and some wine on special occasions. I don't see any use in getting wasted."

To tell the truth, I had never gotten wasted because it was nearly impossible as a shape-shifter. We had tried it of course, but even when you downed a whole bottle of wodka as quickly as you could, it would only cloud your mind for a good ten minutes. We were sort of immune to memory loss or puking due to too much alcohol. Needless to say, before I had first phased, I had been too young to test my limits with alcohol. It was better that way, because I didn't know what I missed out on.

Silke nodded approvingly.

"Very responsible. I wish every teenager was like that. I kind of missed the right time to restrain Ben. I gave up counting the times he came home dead drunk. I have a bargain with Julia. She is allowed to drink, as long as she reduces herself to either one beer or one glass of wine or one cocktail or one shot in 24 hours. And of course no driving under the influence. I'd rather pick her up in the middle of the night than let her drive herself. I trust her not to cheat, but still I'm reluctant to let her go to a party like Drew's. She could go with the best resolutions, but you never know what others will put into her drink when she's looking the other way for a second."

Izzy and Julia exchanged glances as if they were silently communicating. Suddenly Julia's eyes widened and you could practically watch how an idea developed inside her head. She turned to me and I had the feeling that I should be on my guard.

"Seth, you remember that I served you dinner last night, right?"

"Yeah," I replied cautiously.

"Do you agree that you owe me a favor for that?"

"Uh, no, I invited you to dinner at the Den once. We're even."

"Damn! But… I defended you in front of Chris and Ben. That's got to count for something, doesn't it?"

"I defended you against Andy," I countered grinning slightly.

"Ugh, well then. Would you maybe grant me a favor out of pure friendship?"

I would probably do practically anything for her, because that was what a shape-shifter did for his imprint. Right now might not be the best moment to tell her that though.

"That depends on the favor."

"Would you go on a party with me? Not as a date, just as friends."

"I thought you weren't allowed to go on a party? At least not this month," I smirked. On the inside though I was wondering what she was up to.

"Well, would you go if I was allowed?"

"Julchen, Schatz, he said he doesn't go on parties," Silke chuckled.

Julia kept looking at me. I hold her gaze challengingly.

"I promise we could leave if you really didn't enjoy yourself," she tried to lure me. When she put on a pleading look in addition, I couldn't hold out anymore.

"Assuming that you'd be allowed, I would accompany you to a party."

Julia beamed and exchanged a look with Izzy again.

"What a pity that you aren't allowed," Silke smirked.

"We'll see. Mami, you just said yourself that I'm not allowed to parties like Drew's because of all the evil boys who would try to sneak alcohol into my drinks and then proceed to take advantage of my drunken state. If I had a strong, responsible guy with me to watch over me and my drinks, your arguments for the forbiddance would be nullified."

"Hm," Silke mumbled, not very happy about her daughter's argumentation skills.

"Could you square it with your conscience if Izzy still wasn't allowed to go and I'd make sure that her mother doesn't let her sneak away either?" she asked after a moment of consideration. Julia's face fell disappointedly.

"I would be a bad friend if I did that."

"Well, what did you imagine? Izzy's mother doesn't know Seth. I doubt she'll put the supervision of her daughter in the hands of a nineteen year old stranger."

"I had hoped you would maybe put in a good word for us?"

"Oh, really, you did?" Silke raised her eyebrows.

"Come on, Mami, you _do_ remember what it is like to be young, don't you?"

"Oh, yes, I do. My parents were very conservative. I never asked for allowance to go to a party because I knew I wouldn't get it. I always snuck out."

"Nein!" Julia exclaimed incredulously, the surprise letting her fall back into her native language.

"Yes! You should have seen your grandfather's face when my best friend revealed my teenage misdeeds on my first wedding. I think my mother wasn't as clueless. She laughed about the pictures."

"Didn't you ever ask her?"

"She denied that she had known or assumed anything, but she didn't quite convince me."

"Well, then you have to understand us, Silke," Izzy chimed in.

"I do. But today I also understand a parent's point of view. Anyway, Julia, you asked Seth if he would go to a party with you, not if he would take on the responsibility of some kind of chaperone."

"Seth is so overprotective, he would have probably watched over me anyway."

"True," I grinned, "though I defend myself against being called _over_protective. Protective is all I am."

Silke sighed.

"How can I deny you a party that Ben already went to when he was a freshman? I'll talk to Susan," she succumbed.

"Yes!" Julia squealed and high fived Izzy.

"But as you're still grounded, Izzy is going to have to go now," Silke decided.

Izzy grabbed her backpack and hugged Julia goodbye without protest.

"Thank you so much for talking to my mother about the party, Silke."

"I haven't convinced her yet," Silke rebutted.

"But I'm sure you will. See you soon, Seth!"

"See you," I said and got up myself.

"I guess I should be going, too. The restaurant supplies won't drive themselves to La Push on their own."

Julia hugged me.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

* * *

"Hi guys", I said smiling as I entered the Den's kitchen with the first box of vegetables. I was surprised to see Quil helping Leah and Claire to make preparations for the evening. He didn't particularly like having to help in the kitchen. That's why he usually didn't accompany Claire to work.

Leah barely gave me time to put down the box before she hugged me tightly.

"I'm missing you already! But I can see that Port Angeles does you good. I assume Julia lets you into her life now?"

"Yeah, she does. Quil, come help me with the supplies."

Relieved, Quil instantly dropped his knife and followed me out to the Sprinter.

"Everything okay between you and Claire?"

Quil frowned.

"Yeah, sure, of course. What makes you think differently?"

I shrugged.

"The only reason I could figure why you would help in the kitchen was that Claire is mad at you and you're trying to make it up to her."

He chuckled.

"No, we're fine."

We grabbed a box each and headed back.

"So? Are you going to tell me why you were helping in the kitchen? Clearly you haven't recently found your passion for cooking."

"Hell, no! I'm here to keep an eye on Marc."

"Marc? Isn't that the new barman? Where is he, anyway?"

"He's not here yet. Tardy as always," Leah replied, "I don't think we will be employing that lazybones beyond trial period."

"And why do you need to keep an eye on him, Quil?"

"He flirts with anything with boobs and he doesn't get that the girls of the pack are off-limits. Especially Claire, he annoys the hell out of her."

"Why didn't you fire him already?" I asked Leah.

"He's Olivia's cousin. I wanted to give him a real chance. This is only his third day after all. I thought he might get a grip and learn to be on time and behave himself."

"Did you chew him out yet?"

"Not yet. But I will. Soon."

I went to the phone and dialed Marc's number which was on the staff list.

"Hello?"

"Where the hell are you?" I asked without a greeting.

"Who wants to know that?"

"Your boss."

"My boss is a chick. If she wants to ask me something, she'll have to do it herself."

"I'm your other boss, Seth Clearwater. You were supposed to start work an hour ago."

I heard cheering and a sports commentator in the background.

"I'm on my way."

"Really? I didn't know there were any stadiums around that you could pass on your way to the Den."

"It's not like there's any work yet anyway. The first guests won't arrive for another hour."

"Did you think the storeroom refills itself on its own? Here's a van full of supplies that wait for you to carry them inside. And because you're late you're going to do that all alone."

He groaned.

"I don't know if you know our new rule already. Who's late for work doesn't get his share of the tips."

"What? You can't do that!"

"Oh, I can. You want to keep this job, don't you?"

"Yeah."

"Then start being on time and don't even so much as glance at my friends' girlfriends. You neither want to experience my sister's temper first hand nor do you want to make a protector angry. Got that?"

"Sure," he replied nonchalantly.

I rolled my eyes and hung up.

"Was there nobody else who wanted the job?"

"Olivia begged me to give him a try. Apparently he can't keep a job for long. Although he had promised to work hard this time."

I scoffed.

"Did you know that Collin's coming back?" Quil asked, "He has finally accepted that Brady won't ever remember his human life."

"Yeah, I talked to him yesterday," I replied.

"I'm so glad!" Leah exclaimed, "I only knew how lucky I was to have him when he was gone. I hate to ask so many favors of Kim and Emily. Plus, Nelly's grades are dropping."

"How can he even stand to be away from her so long?" Quil questioned.

"That's why he's coming back. He can't. Not anymore," I explained.

I laid the table in the back room. Claire came to help.

"Did you know that Leah has a date?" she whispered.

"Claire! That was a secret!" Leah yelled.

"Since when are you dating again, sis?" I asked curiously. She hadn't gone out since her divorce, claiming to be too occupied with work and her kids.

"He was too cute to turn him down. Unfortunately he was just on his way to the train station and won't be back until shortly before Christmas."

"Why didn't you want us to know?" Quil asked.

"Because I don't need overprotective friends and brothers who want to save me from another heartbreak. If one of you screws up my date I'll kill you!"

"Hey, I'm your brother. I'm supposed to watch that you don't end up with the wrong guy."

"You got something wrong there. Older brothers are supposed to watch over their younger sisters. But you're a younger brother who should stay the hell out of his older sister's private life."

"I don't promise anything."

* * *

_Next update on Monday! Review please!_


	23. Chapter 22

_Thank you for reviewing, KittyPimms, WolvePackForever and daydreamer357!_

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**You'll be the first to know**

It was Saturday, the day of the party. Aaron and Sky wanted to come along. Aaron didn't want to let a chance like this pass, where he could meet a lot of girls and maybe, just maybe, his imprint would be among them. Sky didn't so much think about finding his imprint. He just wanted to have fun. I had agreed for them to come along because that way I wouldn't have to watch both Julia and Izzy.

We picked the two girls up at Izzy's house where I also had to introduce myself to Izzy's mother. She was hesitant to trust me, but Aaron somehow found the right words to make her believe in our trustworthiness. Not for nothing was he supposed to become the next Deputy Alpha when Embry retired next year. Over the years he had developed an aura of authority and reliability that came close to Sam's.

Expectedly, we drew a lot of attention when we arrived at the party. Girls ogled us, guys glared at us. Izzy had already flirted briskly with Aaron and Sky on the ride to the party. Aaron hadn't shown any interest in her, other than Sky whom she now clung to.

The house was already pretty crowded. I had already forgotten how noisy high school parties tended to be. The music blasted so loud that you couldn't hear yourself speak in the living room. Some people actually found some room to dance, drunken couples made out heavily and nearly everyone held a red cup or a bottle of beer in his hand.

Aaron separated from us to lock eyes with as many girls as possible.

"I'll get us some drinks. Do you want your alcoholic drink now or later?" I asked Julia.

"Later. Thanks," she replied.

"Beer?" I asked Sky. He nodded.

"Something alcoholic for me please!" Izzy batted her eyelashes at me.

I went to search for the kitchen where there was a large bowl with some kind of punch, crates and crates of beer and, rather hidden behind all the beer, some soda. I grabbed two beers, a soda and filled a cup with punch for Izzy.

"Hey, do I know you?"

I turned around to a buff guy, probably a senior.

"I don't think so," I replied.

"Well, I'm Drew. This is my party. Who invited you?"

"Julia and Izzy. Do you have a problem with me being here?"

"Not as long as you and your friends don't make any trouble."

"We weren't planning on making trouble. I'm Seth, by the way."

He raised his eyebrows.

"Seth Clearwater? So it's true?"

"What's true?"

"That Julia is dating the owner of the _Wolf's Den_."

"Who said that?"

"Everyone at school says that."

"Well, it's not true. We're friends, that's all."

"Oh, cool. My friend has a crush on her. You wouldn't mind if he made a move on her?"

Without even knowing his friend, I decided that I didn't like him. It made me angry to think of another guy dating Julia. Surprised, I realized that I was jealous. How could I be jealous if I was still convinced that I wasn't ready for a relationship yet? If some other guy could make Julia happy, I couldn't say anything against it. I shrugged.

"I wouldn't mind if he made a move, but I would mind if he hurt her. Tell him that if he hurts her I'll hurt him."

"Sure," Drew replied slowly. I went back into the dining room, where Julia, Izzy and Sky had claimed seats on the table. Izzy was sitting on Sky's lap and they were obviously continuing their flirt session from earlier in the car.

"Thank God," Julia exclaimed as I joined them, "I couldn't have stood to be alone with these lovebirds for another minute. And they're not even drunk yet!"

Izzy giggled.

"Behave yourself," I muttered under my breath. Sky rolled his eyes at me.

"Don't worry, I won't take advantage of her," he whispered back, too low for the girls to hear, especially with the music in the other room.

"Is Aaron our driver tonight?" Julia asked with a look at Sky and my beers.

"Yes," I replied. Aaron would probably drink a beer or two as well, but Julia didn't need to know that. I couldn't explain to her that all three of us would be completely sober by the time we left.

"So," I cleared my throat uncomfortably, "now that you're rid of Andy, are you on the lookout for a boyfriend again?"

"Why?" she smiled, "Do you want to apply for the job?"

I rolled my eyes at her.

"You promised not to ask me that anymore. And you know my answer."

She shrugged.

"Maybe you changed your mind in the meantime. It's been a few weeks, after all, and you're better now than you were back then."

"I didn't change my mind. If I do, you'll be the first to know. I was just asking because I wanted to know if I should keep some distance. I probably scare of any guy who's interested in you, especially since your whole school thinks we're dating."

She frowned.

"How do you know about that stupid rumor?"

"I chatted with drew in the kitchen."

"Oh. Are you mad?"

"Why would I? Did you put out that rumor?"

"No!" she denied quickly, "I swear I didn't!"

"I never really thought you did," I smiled reassuringly at her, "I don't care about that rumor. But if you want to date again, it will make it difficult for you. If I keep my distance here, they'll realize that we're not a couple."

Julia shrugged.

"I'm not hell bent on getting a new boyfriend. I'll take things as they come. Right now, I'd rather talk to you than to some twerp."

So we talked and enjoyed the music and the company of each other. When Julia finished her soda, I went to get her some punch and when I came back, she wasn't alone. A boy was whispering something in her ear, making her blush. I quickly closed the distance and handed Julia the cup of punch.

"Here."

"Thanks."

The guy eyed me uneasily. He turned back to Julia with a frown.

"You could have told me that you have a date."

"But I don't. Seth is just a friend."

"I can leave," I offered but I hoped that Julia would tell me to stay.

"Do you want to dance?" the other guy asked her.

Julia looked between us, hesitating to answer either of us.

"Can you enjoy yourself without me for a while?" she whispered somewhat pleadingly.

"Of course. I won't let you out of my sight though."

She laughed relieved and pulled the boy to the living room. I followed them and found a spot at the wall to lean on while I inconspicuously watched Julia from the corner of my eye. She was a good dancer. Too good, judging from the lust that entered her dance partner's eyes. He put his hands on her waist and slowly let them travel downwards. I suppressed the growl that rose in my throat. As long as Julia didn't protest I wouldn't – I couldn't – interfere. Aaron joined me. He watched Julia shortly and raised his eyebrows at me.

"How can you stand to watch that? Any other imprinted wolf would be ready to kill by now."

"I can't give her a relationship and I don't know when I'll be ready for that step. It could take years. I can't forbid her to date in the meantime," I grumbled.

"You shouldn't watch that though," he said and pushed me around so that I had my back to the dancers and was facing him. "I'll watch them for you."

"I assume you didn't find her then?"

"No. She's not here."

Aaron wasn't able to keep his disappointment out of his voice.

"One day you'll find her, I'm sure. Imprinting isn't as rare as we thought."

He sighed.

"Oh, did you know that Andy's here? I saw him earlier. He seemed quite buzzed."

I shrugged.

"As long as he stays away from Julia…"

Suddenly Aaron was more alert than before, his eyes focused on a spot behind me.

"What?" I asked anxiously and turned around. The boy had pinned Julia to the wall on the other side of the room. He cupped her cheek and as he slowly leaned in it was obvious what he was about to do. Julia's eyes moved nervously. I fought my way through the dancers as quickly as possible. Just when I reached them, the boy's lips landed on her cheek. She had quickly turned her head so that he wouldn't kiss her on the lips. I stayed a few feet away, waiting if she could handle him alone.

"Don't be shy," he purred quietly and tried to reach her lips a second time. She pushed him away.

"No. I don't want that."

He glared at her and I made a step forward, ready to intervene. He saw the movement and his head shot around to me.

"What, are you her bodyguard?"

"Sort of," I replied. He scoffed and glared at both of us before storming out.

"Thanks," Julia said quietly and took a gulp of punch.

"Are you okay?" I asked just as quietly.

"Yeah," she broke into a big smile, "but I could need some distraction right now. Do you dance?"

I grimaced.

"I haven't in a long time."

"That's not something you can forget. Come on!"

She pulled me into the crowd of dancers and I followed rather reluctantly. Julia started dancing and I slowly tried to move in sync with the music. Julia had been right, it came easily back to me as if I had never stopped dancing. I actually liked to dance again. For the first time in over a year, I had fun on a party.

* * *

_Sorry that this is rather short (and sort of unfinished). I had a bad headache all day and didn't start writing until late this evening. Now it's half past one and I really need to go to sleep. This was supposed to be longer, but I didn't want to let you wait. I'll continue the party in the next chapter. Also sorry if there are any typos, I didn't proofread this time._

_Review please! Next update on Wednesday.  
_


	24. Chapter 23

_Thanks for the reviews, Mrs. calearohte, KittyPimms, WolvePackForever and Fire and Ice 22!_**  
**

_Another thanks for following and favoriting, Fire and Ice 22!  
_

* * *

**Pretend that we're all human**

About two hours later the amount of drunken teenagers had risen considerably. Sky and Izzy were making out and Aaron had joined a drinking game. Needless to say that he drank the others under the table.

"Can you get me another punch please?" Julia asked.

"What about the deal with your mom?"

"She won't be able to tell if I had one drink or two. Come on, please!"

She seemed to be nearly sober, so I decided that one more drink wouldn't hurt her.

"Okay."

She smiled brightly at me.

"Don't let any drunkard bother you. Call Aaron for help," I advised.

She nodded and I made my way to the kitchen. The supplies had shrunk since I was last there. There was barely an inch of punch left in the bowl, but I managed to fill a cup. I was grabbing a soda for myself when suddenly something thin and brown quickly went down in front of my eyes and a string tightened around my neck. I gasped for breath and tried to pull the string away, but I wasn't able to get my fingers between the string and my throat. A girl screamed. My lungs ached for air and I knew I didn't have much time left.

I kicked and punched backwards, but to no avail. The thin line cut into my flesh and cut off my air supply completely. As a last-ditch attempt I ran backwards, hoping to crash my attacker into a wall so that he would let loose for at least a short moment. We never reached a wall though. My force was enough to make him stumble and trip. He pulled me with him as he fell and the string tightened even more. I started to see stars.

When I landed on top of him, my weight pushed the air out of his lungs and finally the string slackened. I pulled it off and panted for air. My throat burned like it was on fire and I coughed. However, my attacker was persistent. Fingers closed around my neck and threatened to choke me again. He was still lying under me though and this time my elbow found its way into his side. He winced, but other than that didn't budge.

I summoned my last energy to tear at his fingers. Luckily it was easier to get a grip on them than on the string. A cracking noise told me that I had broken a bone. He cried out in pain and let go of me. I whirled around and came face-to-face with Andy. I punched him in the face. His nose broke with another satisfying crack and he lost consciousness.

Right then Aaron and Sky barged in, closely followed by Julia and Izzy. I let myself fall on the ground and took a deep breath, regretting it instantly when the pain in my throat blazed up and threw me into a coughing fit.

"There's nothing to see here. Get out!" I heard Aaron's authoritative voice say. I was able to stop coughing and tried to take small breaths, but every single one of them still newly inflamed the burning pain.

Julia kneeled down beside me and lightly stroked my cheek.

"Stay calm. Everything's going to be fine. Izzy, call an ambulance."

"No," I choked and started coughing again, "no ambulance. I'll be fine."

Andy regained consciousness and Sky quickly turned him onto his stomach and pulled his arms onto his back. Andy cursed and struggled against his tight grip.

"What's going on here?" Drew stood in the doorway, backed up by some equally buff friends. "I thought I made clear that you shouldn't make any trouble!"

"I," I grimaced at the pain. When would my throat finally heal?

"Shh, don't speak," Julia instructed.

Drew turned his attention to Sky.

"What the fuck are you doing? Set him free!"

Sky snorted.

"Certainly not."

"Why not? What did he do to you?"

Sky looked questioningly at me.

"He tried to choke me," I croaked.

Drew nervously ran his hand through his short hair.

"Because you picked a fight with him," he accused.

"No!" I denied loudly, paying instantly with another coughing fit.

"It's true." Only now did I notice the girl in the corner of the kitchen. Her voice was trembling. Had she been the one who screamed? Had she seen everything?

"He started it," she said pointing at Andy, "He was suddenly there and strangled the other one with that… shoe lace?"

I searched for the string and saw that it was indeed a shoe lace. Andy was missing one. Something wet fell onto my cheek and I turned my head to see Julia crying.

"I'm so sorry," she sobbed.

"It's not your fault," I whispered. Whispering was less painful.

"Yes it is. He did that because of me. You could have died because of me!"

I sat up and pulled her to my chest.

"But I didn't. I'm alive. I'll be fine. Don't blame yourself."

My words couldn't console her. She continued crying.

"I should probably call the police," Drew mused, "Ian, tell everyone to leave. The party's over. Dean, Finn, get the alcohol into the basement. Um, Seth, wasn't it? Are you sure you don't need an ambulance?"

The pain had finally started to fade.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

He nodded and left the kitchen. Julia was still crying.

"Calm down. I'm getting better already. And it is _not_ your fault. Protection is my job. I decided to protect you from Andy. You tried to stop me at first, remember?"

Izzy handed me a cup of water. I cautiously sipped at it. It still hurt a little.

"God, Seth," Aaron exclaimed, "since when do you let yourself nearly get killed by a _teenager_? For a second there I thought you'd choke to death!"

"I would like to see you fight someone off who's standing behind you and cutting off your air supply! I'm strong, but my muscles need oxygen to work properly. Where were _you_? I would have really appreciated a little help. What took you so long?"

"Sorry. The hallway was crowded with nosy people who tried to get a glimpse of the fight. We had to shove our way through them."

Ten minutes later the police arrived. The girl who had seen everything testified my version of the fight. The officers were surprised that I barely had strangulation marks, but luckily they didn't see the speed with which they were fading. Unfortunately, Andy was quite drunk, meaning that he would be allowed mitigating circumstances.

* * *

One week later I found myself in a mall after having been dragged there by Julia and Alice. Izzy and Bella were with us, too, but Izzy hadn't insisted that I come along and Bella had come just as involuntarily as I had. Admittedly, this gave me the chance to do some Christmas shopping, but the girls seemed to be determined to hunt down every single boutique.

"Why did I have to accompany you again?" I complained.

"Because we need a strong guy to carry our bags and Jasper and Edward are out of town," Alice explained sweetly.

"As if you couldn't carry your bags yourself," I muttered. Julia locked arms with me.

"I need your advice for a new outfit."

"Alice gives much better advice on fashion than I do," I argued.

"But I want _your_ advice," she replied.

"Let's take a break and get some lunch," Bella suggested.

"Gladly," I agreed. Alice rolled her eyes. We went to a small diner and sat down in a booth in the back.

"So, Seth," Izzy started, "tell me honestly, why doesn't Skyler call me?"

She looked heart-broken.

"Did you give him your number?" I asked surprised.

"Of course I did!"

"Why don't you call him?"

"Because he said that he would call me. And now that he doesn't, I can't help but think that he doesn't want to see me again."

I shrugged.

"I can't tell you if you're right. I haven't spoken to him since the party. Just call him yourself. Maybe he thinks that you might not want to see him again too. You both won't know if neither of you calls."

"Ugh, I shouldn't have thrown myself at him like that. He probably thinks I'm a whore! I'll never drink alcohol again," she moaned.

"Do you really like him?" I questioned.

"Yes, I do."

I secretly texted Sky to call Izzy and tell her honestly if she had a chance with him. Not a minute later her phone rang. Her face lit up.

"That's him!" she squealed and hurried to a more private spot. Our meals came and Bella and Alice gave theirs to me. Izzy came back, grinning from ear to ear.

"He asked me out!"

"Woohoo," Julia laughed, "and did he tell you why he didn't call earlier?"

"He had a lot to do. Work and Christmas stress."

I hoped for both Sky and Izzy that he wouldn't imprint as long as he dated Izzy. I would have to remember to tell Julia not to let Izzy in on the secret. It wouldn't be easy to explain why her friend wasn't allowed to know although she was dating a vampire hunter while Julia knew although we were just friends.

"What about you two? When are you going to admit your feelings for each other?"

My head snapped up at Izzy's words. Julia blushed and stammered, "We, uh, I don't have, um, feelings for Seth."

"We're just friends," I confirmed.

"Yeah, sure," Izzy didn't believe us, "you don't get through a single day without at least calling each other and talking for an hour! You saved Julia from Andy who nearly killed you! That clearly formed a bond between you two."

"Well, if there is a bond, it's nothing romantic," I replied.

"Normal friendships between boys and girls are actually possible, as hard to believe as it might be for you," Julia added.

"I bet you two will get together eventually. Mark my words."

"You'll get a multiple layer birthday cake if you're right," Julia offered. Alice awkwardly cleared her throat.

"Um, Julia, are you," I kicked her under the table, but Julia had already heard enough. She glanced between Alice and me and turned back to Izzy.

"If we still aren't dating when your birthday comes around, I'll get your charms bracelet. Deal?" she offered Izzy her hand.

"What? My bracelet? Never!"

Julia shrugged.

"Now you're not so sure of yourself anymore, huh? But then you won't get your multiple layer dream cake either."

"Ugh, okay. Deal."

They shook hands.

"When is your birthday?" Bella asked.

"May 10."

Julia leaned over to me and whispered, "She would have gotten the multiple layer cake anyway."

I grinned.

"Remind me never to bet with you," I whispered back.

* * *

On Wednesday I was in the shower after a rather muddy patrol when I heard Julia's Mini roll onto our driveway. I hurried up and rushed down the stairs decently dressed two minutes later. Bella had gone for the door and was opening it at that very moment. Julia wasn't alone. A girl her age and a man at about thirty, both blonde and with similar features, were standing behind her. I remembered that her cousins Marie and Basti from Germany had arrived yesterday.

At the sight of Bella, the blond guy's eyes widened, his heart beat accelerated and he quickly stepped in front of Julia and pushed her safely behind her. He whispered something in German to her and tried to make Julia and his sister retreat back to the car. Realizing that he had recognized Bella as what she was, I went to stand next to Bella to help ease the situation. Edward, who had been watching over Julia, advanced the house from his car and Basti shot him a slightly panicked look.

"Maybe you should have told him about us before you came here, Julia," Edward mused with a smile on his lips.

"Basti, what the hell is wrong with you?" Marie asked from behind him and smiled apologetically at Bella. Her brother half turned to her and replied something in German with a raised voice. Marie's gaze flew back to Bella and Edward and fear entered her eyes. Julia rolled her eyes and talked to her cousins, trying to calm them down. My name fell and Basti mustered me. He didn't glare at me like he did at Bella and Edward, but he seemed distrustful. I thought he was curious to meet me.

"Julia, why don't you take Seth with you to your place? That way your cousins don't have to fear our presence," Bella suggested.

"No! You're my friends and I want Marie to meet you, too. I trust you, so they can trust you too!"

Basti started arguing again. I stepped down the three stairs that led down onto the driveway and offered Basti my hand.

"Hi, I'm Seth."

"Sebastian," he replied coldly while shaking my hand. It was kind of hard to hold his gaze, because he had one blue and one amber colored eye.

"I can fully understand your reaction. I know that Julia has told you about me. Do you know what I usually do with vampires?"

"I thought I did."

"Okay. And you wonder why I would live with some of them, right?"

He nodded.

"First of all, they're vegetarians. They only drink animal blood. That's the reason why my tribe made a truce with them in the first place. I've known them for quite some time now and I know that they're in complete control of their thirst. We allied with them against other vampires. Trust me, they worked hard to gain our trust. However, in the extremely unlikely case that one of them does lose control, the others and I would immediately interfere and we'd be able to stop him or her before someone gets hurt. I can promise you that."

Basti wasn't completely convinced, but Marie was.

"That's good enough for me. Come on Basti, they're friends of Julia. If they haven't drained her yet why would they now?"

"I want you to always stay in between the vampires and us," Basti reluctantly demanded from me.

"Sure, no problem."

Julia sighed relieved.

"Great! So, Seth, this is Marie, Marie, that's Seth. And these two are Bella, Seth's stepsister, and her husband, Edward."

Basti shot me a look.

"The bloodsucker is your _stepsister_?"

"Yes, and to say the truth, she even _wanted_ to be turned, but hey, you can't choose your family, can you?" I grinned. Bella shoved me in mock anger. Edward offered the two Germans his hand, but Basti outright ignored it and Marie just smiled apologetically at him. Edward's expression changed from a frown to a big grin as he turned away and went inside. I caught up to him.

"What's so funny?"

"I just found out why you imprinted on Julia," he whispered back.

"Really? Why?" I asked eagerly.

"I think I'll wait if Sebastian tells you himself."

I scowled, but he just grinned at me. We sat down in the living room where Alice and Jasper were sitting in front of a laptop. Basti froze in the doorway.

"How many are they?" he asked slightly angry.

"Currently it's just us four and Bella's and my half-vampire daughter. Nessie went out with her fiancé though, so it's just us four," Edward replied.

"What does _currently_ mean?"

"Our coven consists of four other vampires who aren't in the United States at the moment. They'll stay away for another year or so."

Basti raised his eyebrows.

"I didn't know vampires gathered in groups as large as yours, apart from… never mind."

"Apart from the Volturi, right. Larger covens is one of the trademarks of vegetarian vampires, along with settledness as opposed to the nomadism of non-vegetarians."

Jasper looked at Edward and I could only guess that he warned him not to tell him so many details about them.

"Okay, can we pretend that we're all human and talk about random meaningless stuff like the weather, Washington versus Germany or our Christmas plans?" Julia asked.

"Oh, yes, gladly," Marie replied relieved, "I'm kind of still digesting the fact that vampires indeed exist and I don't really need any details on top of that right now. So, what's the weather forecast for Christmas Eve? Any chance for a white Christmas?"

"No, none at all," Alice answered confidently, "there's going to be some sleet the next days, but the first snow which won't melt right away is going to come in the night from 5th to 6th January. And it's going to be quite a lot for this region, about half a foot."

Marie looked at Alice oddly, probably taken aback by her precise forecast.

"We're leaving on the 6th. I hope we get to the airport in time and the airport can handle that much snow," Basti mused.

"Don't worry, that won't be a problem," Alice assured him smiling. She shared a look with Edward and he shrugged. I hated to see their silent communication without knowing any details. Suddenly Bella jumped up.

"Oh my God, we're awful hosts! Do you want to eat or drink anything? Tea, coffee, hot chocolate?"

"I'd like a hot chocolate, please," Marie announced.

"Me too," Julia joined in.

"Anything for you, Sebastian?" Bella asked when he didn't say anything.

"No, thanks."

He was still tense. Right then the motor of Leah's Buick Verano died down outside. Alice clapped her hands excitedly.

"That's Leah!" she exclaimed happily. Leah had her date in Port Angeles tonight and Alice had forced her to agree on letting her help to get ready.

Basti had tensed even more, if that was possible.

"Who's Leah? Another bloodsucker?"

"Stop calling them that in their presence, Basti! That's rude!" Julia reprimanded without answering his actual question.

"On the contrary, Leah's another vampire hunter. She's my sister," I informed him. He relaxed a bit. Bella came back with two cups.

"I didn't think she'd stay true to her word," she said to Alice with a grin.

"Well, you know, Bella, _some_ people actually appreciate my advice on their styling," Alice shot back.

"Yeah, but Leah has her own style."

"Why, thanks, Bella, I'll take that as a compliment!" Leah yelled from the hallway.

"Was meant as a compliment, too," Bella replied chuckling. Leah appeared in the doorway.

"Oh, you have guests! What a pity, Alice. I guess we'll have to delay my styling until later. An hour will be way enough time anyway."

Bella chuckled and I couldn't help but smile slightly. It was rare that Bella and Leah agreed on something, but their reluctance to endure Alice's styling sessions seemed to make them allies for the moment.

Leah had entered the room and turned to the two German siblings now. She opened her mouth to say something when she locked eyes with Basti. The words seemed to be stuck in her throat as she stared at him, surprise and utter disbelief clear on her face. He frowned shortly and raised his eyebrows at her. I nudged Leah and fought against the huge grin that had plastered itself on my face. My sister had just imprinted and I was extremely happy for her.

"That's Julia's cousin, Sebastian," I introduced him to her.

"Basti," he corrected and smiled at her. Finally Leah broke out of her trance-like state. She blushed furiously – the only time I ever saw my sister blushing was when the pack first saw her naked – and took his offered hand rather shyly.

"I'm Leah. Sorry for staring, but your eyes…," she tried to explain her weird behavior.

"Never mind. It often makes people stare, so I'm kind of used to it."

Leah seemed incapable of breaking the eye contact. Only when Basti looked at his sister did Leah avert her eyes as well.

"My sister Marie," Basti introduced.

"Hi", Marie shook Leah's hand, but she didn't smile. Leah took the last available seat next to Alice. She looked down at her hands in her lap, unusually shy. The smile on her face seemed frozen. Alice nudged her and whispered, "Congratulations! Are you still having a date tonight?"

"Date? What date?" Leah whispered back. Alice laughed.

"You should at least cancel."

Leah sighed and stood back up. She pulled her cell phone out while she walked upstairs to have some privacy.

"What was that?" Marie asked irritated.

"That was Leah," Edward chuckled.

"Is she hitting on every stranger?"

Basti turned to look at his sister disapprovingly.

"Excuse me, that's my sister you're talking about," I said rather coldly. Marie shrugged.

"So? Is she?"

"Of course not."

"She wasn't even really hitting on me, Marie. She just stared because of my different colored eyes. Maybe she's not even single."

Marie scoffed.

"Nevertheless someone should tell her that you're only staying two weeks."

Basti said something in German that shut her finally up. Or maybe she stayed silent because Leah chose that moment to return. Leah didn't show in any way that she had heard every word.

"Are you all staying for dinner?" Bella asked.

"No, Mom expects us and Seth to be back home for dinner," Julia declined. For a split second, Leah's disappointment showed on her face, but she contained herself quickly.

"But you're coming to the feast at the Den on 26th, aren't you?" Alice asked.

"No, I don't want to intrude with my cousins in the tight-knit group of Quileute protectors and your family."

I already knew her decision on that, although I wasn't very happy about it because then I wouldn't see her at all on the Christmas days.

"You wouldn't be intruding, Julia. You know we already consider you part of our group," Leah said.

"But Basti and Marie are strangers to you."

"Doesn't matter. It's Christmas, of course they're welcome, too. And I know Seth was sad that you wouldn't come."

Julia smiled at me and even Marie got over her upset mood and smiled at her cousin.

"You can go, Julia, and Basti and I stay in Port Angeles. Your Mum will happily spoil us with cakes to overcome your absence."

"You are invited, too," Leah repeated.

"Thank you very much. We'll come," Basti decided. Marie looked at him questioningly and he held her gaze challengingly. Julia turned to Marie.

"You don't have to come along. I know you don't enjoy yourself in a large group where you hardly know anyone."

"Take your time to think about it, Marie. You can even decide spontaneously if you want to accompany Julia and your brother or not. Just know that you'd be welcome," I said.

"Thanks," she smiled at me. I wondered if one of the others would imprint on her, since the Reichenbach genes seemed to match ours well. I hoped not. Leah probably already asked herself if she would have to move to Germany to have a chance with Basti. If she moved, her kids would move as well and then Collin would follow them to stay close to Janelle. Basti could also move to La Push of course, but I doubted that he would. Maybe in one or two years when they had been a couple for a while, but not at the beginning of their relationship. If another wolf imprinted on Marie, he would certainly have to move to Germany because Marie still went to school. Embry and I wanted to stop phasing in one year and with Leah, Collin and a third wolf gone the pack would shrink considerably.

We chatted for a while, mainly talking about Germany and the differences here. Edward, Bella, Jasper and Alice left soon because Basti and Marie still weren't comfortable to be in the same room as vampires. They relaxed considerably as soon as the door clapped shut behind the Cullens.

"On 26th there will be 16 Quileute protectors and just four and a half vampires. You'll be completely safe," Leah said, more in Marie's direction than in Basti's.

"You are so many?" Basti asked incredulously.

"Yeah, we are. To be honest, five of these sixteen have retired, but eleven are still enough to handle four vampires, especially vegetarians who aren't likely to lose control anyway."

* * *

_I bet you didn't expect that! ('That' being Leah's imprinting)  
_

_So this chapter was quite long, firstly because the last one was short and secondly because you'll have to wait longer for the next update.  
_

_I'm visiting my sister for four days and although I might be able to get on the internet I probably won't have the time to write and update. Therefore there won't be any updates on Friday and Saturday this week. Instead, I'm going to update on Sunday when I'm back.  
_

_Review please!  
_


	25. Chapter 24

_Thank you very much for the reviews, Fire and Ice 22, Mrs. Calearohte, WolvePackForever and KittyPimms!_

_ Mrs. Calearohte, I'm glad you like Leah this way. I was a bit afraid that people wouldn't like the 'nice' Leah._

_KittyPimms, I needed that satisfaction of Andy getting punched, too :D_

* * *

**Family secret**

"Would you explain how the hell they were able to gain your trust and even befriend you? I thought they were your enemies," Basti asked.

Leah and I shared a look.

"It's complicated," Leah shunned the answer. It would be difficult to explain without telling what we really were and what Nessie was to Jake. I tried nonetheless.

"Our ancestors made a treaty with them when the Cullens showed up in Forks for the first time. At that time they outnumbered the protectors of our tribe and would have easily defeated them. Because of their vegetarianism our ancestors agreed to a truce as long as the Cullens stayed off our lands and didn't bite a human. When they came back, we still weren't enough to take them on and the treaty was still valid. Bella was a human at that time and wasn't our stepsister yet. She fell in love with Edward. But she was also friends with Jacob, who's one of us. He had a major crush on her, but she chose Edward.

Unfortunately, the Cullens attracted the attention of other hostile vampires. Some of them targeted on Bella and Jacob wanted to protect her just as much as Edward, so we allied with them for the first time. We didn't really trust each other at that time which made it a difficult collaboration. There was an army of strong newborn vampires coming to kill Bella. We led them to a large clearing where we wanted the battle to take place. Edward went into the mountains with Bella because he didn't want her anywhere close to the vampire who led that army. I went with them because I was young and inexperienced and our leader didn't want me in the battle either. However, the vampire who was out for Bella left the army at the battlefield and found us together with her mate. Edward and I defeated them together. That was the start of our friendship. Having fought alongside him, both of us saving the life of the other one, I couldn't see him as an enemy anymore.

The others didn't understand that, but I ignored them and in the following six months I became quite close to Edward. During these months he married Bella and on their honeymoon she got pregnant. The half-vampire grew extraordinarily fast inside of her and made Bella sick. I'll spare you the details. Sam, our leader, was of the opinion that we should kill Bella, because we didn't know what exactly grew inside of her. Jacob was completely against it. He was the rightful leader since his grandpa had been a leader, too, but he hadn't wanted that role up to then. Sam was determined to kill Bella and so Jacob stood up to him, claimed his right not to have to obey him and left. I followed him, because I didn't want to fight the Cullens and Jacob was my idol at that time. Leah followed me although she hated the Cullens, because she was quite protective of me. So we formed a group of three and allied with the Cullens once again. We didn't look forward to a fight against our friends. Fortunately they delayed the fight and decided to kill the baby or whatever Bella gave birth to.

Bella nearly died when Nessie was born, but Edward changed her in time to let her continue her life as a vampire, which she had wanted anyway ever since she had been with Edward. Now comes the part that will be the most difficult for you to understand. When Jacob saw Nessie for the first time, he felt a bond to her. He knew she was his soul mate. He would have protected her against anything and everything. Being Jacob's soul mate, the others couldn't kill Nessie anymore. A half-vampire grows very quickly and today Jacob and Nessie are engaged. With that connection between them and us it was unavoidable that we'd become close. Then our mother married Bella's father which made Bella our stepsister. The Cullens were grateful for all that we'd done for them and helped Leah and me out with the capital for our restaurant."

Contrary to Leah who avoided looking at Basti too often, I had seen him glancing at her when I was telling them about Nessie being Jake's soul mate. I remembered what Jasper had told me about his conversation with Julia where Basti told her that I was probably the best that could ever happen to her. How much did he really know about us? Was I interpreting too much into it and he didn't have a clue about imprinting? If he knew about imprinting, did he also know what we really were?

"Last year we got into quite some trouble and the Cullens helped us out of it," Leah added. "Seth," she glanced cautiously at me and I nodded for her to continue, "and two others were captured by vampires and they helped to free them. I will be forever grateful for that. I thought I'd lose my baby brother. And now they're also helping Seth to cope with his trauma. I needed much more time to accept it than Seth, but they really are good guys and they have their thirst under control."

At the mention of my trauma Basti turned his attention back to me.

"Julia told us you have PTSD. I've been traumatized, too, after serving two years in the army. I still am, actually, although it's been seven years now, but I'm much better than in the beginning. Sometimes it comes back, mainly as nightmares, and I can't watch war movies without going back into battle mode. I guess I'll have to live with that for the rest of my life. How are you coping?"

I looked down. I still couldn't talk about my issues with just anyone. I tried nonetheless.

"I've made some improvements lately. I used to have several nightmares every night. Jasper has a talent with which he can control emotions. He calms me down enough to keep the nightmares away, but there was a time when even he couldn't keep them away. When I've had a good day I can sleep well without his help now. Other than that I'm still having panic attacks every now and then and I'm sensitive when it comes to my personal space. There is a very limited amount of people who can touch me without me flinching back. Somehow Julia made it into that small group, whereas some of my long-lasting friends didn't."

"You've made more improvements than just that since Julia joined your life. You've learned to smile genuinely again and you sometimes even manage to laugh nowadays," Leah said and continued, turning to Basti, "Before the capture he was a cheerful person who smiled all the time and made us laugh a lot. Afterwards he didn't even crack a genuine smile for a very long time. He was always miserable."

Julia, who sat next to me, laid an arm around me and hugged me closer.

"I can understand that. She always found the right words for me, too, when I was having a bad day," Basti smiled at me.

"Maybe you should become a psychologist," Marie suggested her cousin.

"Yeah, I'll definitely consider it."

"What are you doing for a living, Basti?" Leah asked.

"I'm a mechanical engineer. I'm building medical machines, mainly CT scanners."

"That's cool."

"Owning a restaurant is cooler," he grinned at her. Leah laughed.

"Maybe, but the working hours are horrible and not at all family-friendly and all in all it's a lot of stress."

"Do you already have family?" he asked and I thought I saw a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes.

"I have three children. Nine-year-old twin girls and a two-year-old son."

She watched him carefully. I guess she was afraid that a bunch of kids would scare him away.

"What about the father?"

"We're divorced."

"Wow. You run a restaurant while simultaneously raising three kids on your own – that's impressive."

"You don't know the kids yet. They could be ill-bred."

"They aren't," I gainsaid her.

"Yeah, I guess. I've got help though. The protectors are one huge family and one especially sees after the girls a lot."

"Your boyfriend?"

Leah laughed loudly.

"No. Actually he experienced the same wonder Jacob experienced. My daughter Janelle is his soul mate."

"How do they know that these kids are their soul mates? And what about the age difference, aren't soul mates supposed to be about the same age and shouldn't they be romantically bonded?" Marie asked.

"They just know it. That's a Quileute trait. We know when we meet our soul mate. And in case it's a child they act as a big brother for the girl and only when she's old enough do they develop romantic feelings."

Again, Basti looked at Leah with that knowing look on his face. This time she noticed and she blushed lightly.

"How do you know so much about vampires, Basti?" I asked to change the subject and maybe get some answers for his extraordinary knowledge about the supernatural world.

"My father told me. It's been passed down in my family for generations from father to son."

"Then why didn't I know about it?" Marie asked.

"Because you're obviously not a son."

"Did my father also know about their existence?" Julia questioned.

"Yes."

"Your family is lucky that the Volturi don't know how much you know. They are quite sensitive when it comes to humans knowing about their existence," I said.

"Yes, I know. We've done our best to keep it a secret. I'm counting on you and the Cullens not to spill it."

"Of course."

"Wait, you even know who the Volturi are?" Leah asked incredulously.

"Yes, I do. Though I don't know how up-to-date my knowledge is. Are Aro, Caius and Marcus still leading them?"

"Yes. How does your family know so much?"

"We used to be vampire hunters, too."

"No way!" Leah exclaimed. I was also surprised. No human was able to hunt vampires. But they couldn't be like us, could they? Evolution gave our tribe the shape-shifter gene long before we came into contact with the pale-faces. There was certainly no genetic connection to the Reichenbachs. And it seemed too unlikely that evolution had made two equal species completely independent from one another. But maybe they weren't equal. Maybe they just had special abilities that allowed them to defeat vampires. However, he said they used to be. Did the gene get lost or why weren't they anymore?

"How did you hunt them?" Leah asked curiously.

"That's a family secret."

"Oh, alright. Sorry."

"How do _you_ hunt vampires?" he challenged, yet again I had the feeling that he already knew.

"That's a tribal secret," Leah smirked.

"Do you have a lot of female hunters? Because in our family it's always only been the men."

"No, I'm the only one that's ever lived."

"And you still hunt vampires although you are – Julia, was heißt alleinerziehende Mutter?"

"Single mom," Julia replied to the German gibberish.

"Although you are a single mom to three children? What if you die?" Marie continued her question.

"I've already retired once, but I rejoined the protectors last year. We don't get us killed that easily. We haven't lost a single hunter from the current generation in battle. The only protector who was killed by vampires was captured like Seth. I want to protect my girls and my baby boy. If a vampire ever got to them I could never forgive myself. If I died protecting them, my death wouldn't have been useless and my children would still be in good care. Like I said, we're one big family."

"Have you ever been so close to losing a fight that you thought you'd die?" Basti asked.

"We allied with the Cullens against the Volturi once. That was suicidal. We all thought we'd die that day."

"Against the Volturi? Isn't that madness? How could you survive?"

"The Cullens were able to convince them that they hadn't committed the crime the Volturi accused them of. Bella had just become a vampire and the Volturi weren't prepared for her talent. The Cullens also had gathered some vampire friends who would have made it an even fight. A lot would have died on both sides if the Volturi hadn't backed out."

"I thought the Volturi had these witch twins who would win every fight for them."

"You really know a lot," Leah frowned, "Bella's talent is a mind shield that she can project on others as well. Jane's and Alec's talents attack the mind. That way Bella suspended the Volturi's two most powerful weapons – and a few others, too. Currently there is some kind of fake friendship between the two covens. Aro wants Alice and Bella to join them, but they would never do that willingly. When he learned about us he also wanted us to join them, but of course that will never ever happen."

"What would a vampire ruler want with vampire hunters other than killing you?" Julia asked.

"The vampires don't have many rules, but when one of the few rules is broken, the Volturi kill the rule breaker. We kill vampires and most vampires have never fought us before and are therefore unprepared and ignorant to our tactics. And, well, the Volturi always want to have the edge over their opponents to be confident of victory."

"Since you didn't join them, why haven't they killed you yet?"

"Because of the Cullens. They know they'd side with us."

"It's almost dinner time. We should head home," Julia announced. This time Leah didn't try to hide her disappointment.

"Oh. Already?" she mumbled.

"Julia, don't you think Leah could come with us, too? Your Mom is always cooking too much anyway", Basti asked.

"Well, why not. If you want, Leah."

Leah's face immediately lit up.

"I'd love to."

* * *

_I'll try to update again tomorrow to get back to my old routine, but the next chapter is not sorted out in my head yet and I might not get it finished tomorrow. But I'll definitely try to get it up by Tuesday at the latest. _

_Review and tell me what you think please!_


	26. Chapter 25

_Thank you so much for reviewing, daydreamer357, Mrs. Calearohte, KittyPimms and WolvePackForever!_

_Mrs. Calearohte, I had a wonderful time with my sister. Twin sisters are the best :)  
_

_I had wanted to explain how to pronounce Basti's name, because I'm afraid you all call him something like "bestie", but I forgot. So, his name is pronounced more like "busty", as funny as that might sound to you :D_

* * *

**You'll get your happy ending**

Leah and I spent Christmas Eve in Julia's garden. Apparently, in Germany Christmas was celebrated on 24th. With Chris and Ben being outnumbered by Germans, they had to adapt and go along. The dinner was also a typical German Christmas meal, sausages and potato salad. After dinner, they sang a German Christmas song and Julia, Basti and Marie recited German poems. Only then were they allowed to open their presents. The happy, joyful atmosphere made me want to join them. It was odd, as I hadn't wanted to join any cheery get-together in one year, but knowing that Julia was happy made me happy too. I wanted to be happy _with_ her and do my bit to increase her happiness even more. But this was a family thing and I was just a friend. I had to be content to see her on 26th. Leah sighed next to me.

'How can I capture his heart in this little time? Yesterday they went ice-skating, today they celebrate Christmas, tomorrow we'll celebrate ourselves. That leaves eleven days before he boards a plane and goes back to the other side of the world.'

'He didn't seem reluctant to open his heart,' I tried to encourage her.

'But he won't want to stay here after such a short time. And I can't follow him to Germany. I can't leave my kids and the Den.'

If a wolf had been able to cry, she would have shed tears now.

'Yes, you can,' I soothed, 'Emily and Claire can manage the Den, Collin will be happy to look after Janelle and June and Kim would certainly take in Jayden for a while. That way you could follow him and either deepen your relationship so that he's willing to move to La Push or you let the kids and Collin follow you when it's clear that you'll stay in Germany. You'll work this out.'

Leah looked at me with doubtful eyes. I nuzzled her neck.

'You'll get your happy ending. The spirits have to do their best for you now, after all you've been through.'

'Or they hate me and let me imprint only to make it impossible for me to actually get together with him.'

I rolled my eyes.

'Don't be so pessimistic! It's Christmas. You're supposed to be happy these days.'

'You're one to talk. As if you were happy last Christmas.'

I growled lowly.

'That was something else entirely.'

'Sorry,' she nudged my cheek.

The back door clapped and I peeked around the bush we were hiding behind. Julia stood on the back porch and stared hard into the darkness.

"Seth?" she asked hopefully. I phased back and quickly pulled my shorts on.

"Alice, Jasper, Edward, Bella? Anyone here?" Julia added uncertainly. I stepped out behind the bush.

"I'm here," I announced and approached her, "Everything alright?"

She smiled relieved.

"Yes, everything's fine," she frowned, "Are you seriously only wearing shorts out here? It's freezing!"

"I already told you once that I don't get cold easily. Merry Christmas, by the way."

"Merry Christmas. We're going to the midnight mass now and I was wondering if you'd like to meet us there. But you can't go dressed like this."

"I would have liked to, but you're right. I can't attend church like this. Leah and I will stay close though."

"Leah is here, too?"

"Yeah, she keeps me company. Hey, um, did Basti say anything about her?"

Julia smirked.

"She has taken a liking to him, huh?"

I nodded.

"But he's living in Germany," Julia objected.

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Sure."

"Promise not to tell him."

"Okay, I promise," she frowned.

"Basti is Leah's soul mate. You know, like Nessie is Jake's and Janelle is Collin's. Leah will follow him to Germany if necessary."

Julia's eyebrows shot up. The back door opened.

"Come on, Julia, we've got to go," her mother peeked out, "Merry Christmas, Seth."

"Merry Christmas," I replied and held Julia back when she turned around.

"Did he say something about her?"

"He definitely likes her, too. I've got to go now. Good night, Seth," she kissed me on the cheek and left me stunned with that. She was already gone when I had realized what she had done. I returned to Leah and phased again.

'Can you be optimistic now?' I asked.

'I guess,' she replied rather vaguely, but her mind radiated happiness. We followed our imprints to the church. We had to phase back because there was no way we could hide our huge wolf bodies in town. We stayed in the shadows as to not attract attention with our scanty clothing.

"Do you think she'll keep her promise?" Leah asked me worriedly.

"Julia? Certainly."

"I hope so. I don't want Basti to be scared away or to feel pressured because he's my soul mate."

"You worry too much."

She scoffed.

"I've seen you when Julia rejected you. I don't want to experience that feeling first hand."

"Basti already knows about vampires. Maybe he even knows about us. You have an advantage there."

"Do you think we should confront him? Ask him what he really knows about us?"

"I don't know. How do we explain our suspicion if he doesn't know anything?"

"Can't you ask Edward?"

"He thinks Basti should tell us himself."

"So Basti _does_ know something?"

"Seems so," I shrugged, "We'll just have to wait and see."

* * *

The next morning we drove to Forks where we met Edward, Bella, Jake and Nessie at Mom and Charlie's. Collin arrived with Leah's kids five minutes later. Charlie happily took over Jayden.

"Hey, little man," he cooed, "You've grown again! Your Mommy feeds you too much spinach."

Jayden chortled.

"That's got nothing to do with spinach. He comes after his uncle, simple as that," I ruffled my nephew's hair.

"Let's hope not. He should have the chance to live a normal life," Mom objected.

Leah kissed her son on the forehead.

"Exactly. A normal childhood requires a father though. Hopefully he'll soon get a better one than he has now."

"Daddy called this morning," Nell said quietly.

"Really, he did? What did he say?"

"He says he misses us. We have another brother though. He sounded really affectionate when he told me loads and loads of the baby. I think he likes his new son better than us," she sniffed.

"Oh, honey," Leah crouched down to be at eye level with her daughter, "I'm sure he loves you just as much. Would you like to see him again sometime? I can call him and arrange something."

"Yes, please!" June answered in place of her sister.

"Is your imprint really going to be our new father? Does he like kids?" Janelle asked with a frown.

"He's never going to replace your Daddy. But I hope that he can become some sort of father figure for you and help me raise you three little devils," Leah smiled.

"Devils?" June faked a shocked expression, "We're nice children!"

"Exactly," Mom said, "and nice children get nice presents. Who wants to open one before breakfast?"

June squealed and ran into the living room. Janelle still looked sad. Collin picked her up and followed June.

"Grown-up kids may also open a present," Mom said pushing me and Leah forward. Charlie, Jake and the Cullens followed and we gathered around the Christmas tree.

* * *

One day later the whole pack, the imprints, children and the Cullens were seated in the back room. Simon was still on patrol but he would be here any minute. The Den wasn't closed, it was actually quite crammed. Emily and Leah would take turns in cooking while Claire, Autumn, Olivia and Ava would alternately wait tables, so that everyone got some time to join us. A puff of wind came through the open front door and into the back room and carried the scent of strawberries and vanilla.

"Leah, they're here!" I called and got up to hug Julia.

"I'm so glad you could come!"

"I wouldn't have missed this dinner for the world! Your sister and your cousin's cooking is way too delicious," she chuckled.

"What, you didn't want to see me?"

"Seeing you is a nice extra, but first and foremost I'm here for the food," she teased. I tickled her side and she arched away squeaking.

"Stop that!" she laughed, "Peace offering: I give you your present and you stop."

"Deal. Hello, Marie and Sebastian. Welcome to the Den and Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," Marie smiled at me.

"Merry Christmas," Basti said and continued, "Where's your sister?"

Leah came running from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Coming!"

She stopped short in front of Basti.

"Hi," she blushed lightly.

"Has she been blushing so much when she started dating you, too?" Jake whispered to Sam. Leah turned to glare at him.

"No," Sam answered his question and smirked at Leah.

Basti held out a medium-sized poinsettia to Leah.

"Thank you for the invitation," he smiled at her.

"Thank you," Leah smiled widely back and took the plant from him to place it onto a side table. Our pack mates shared approving glances. They were all happy for Leah and Basti seemed to have made a good first impression on them.

"These are my children, June, Janelle and Jayden," she introduced. She had committed the girls to be nice to Basti and do their best to make him like them.

"Hello," June stuck out her hand and he shook it.

"Hello. I'm Basti," he smiled at her.

Instead of releasing his hand she pulled him with her.

"Come sit with us," she said and led him towards her seat.

"Okay," he chuckled. He stopped when he saw the pictures on the wall and studied them with great interest.

"Emily made them. Amazing, aren't they?" Julia said.

"Yeah," he replied absentmindedly. In the end he focused on two pictures, glancing back and forth between them as if he couldn't decide on one. One showed Leah and the other one showed Sky. I could bet that he knew exactly what he was looking at, or rather who he was looking for. Skyler was the smallest wolf besides Leah. If Basti knew what we were, he probably also knew that females were smaller.

"Marie, isn't it? May I ask you to sit next to me?" Aaron asked. Basti whirled around and looked between the two. He seemed relieved about what he saw and finally followed June to her seat. Aaron hadn't imprinted on Marie but I was sure that that was what Basti had suspected.

"I guess," Marie shrugged.

Just when Emily, Leah and Claire carried various plates and bowls of food into the room, Simon burst through the back door.

"Am I on time?" he asked.

"You really could have dressed a bit nicer today," Kim scolded. He only wore his shorts. Marie's eyebrows had disappeared under her bangs.

"He was outside like that?" she asked Aaron.

"Uh, yes."

At the same time, Mom entered through the guest room. She kissed Leah on the cheek.

"Take a free night. I'll help Emily in the kitchen."

"Thanks, Mom," Leah beamed and took a seat between Basti and Jayden's high chair.

With so many people in the room it got quite loud. Nevertheless every shape-shifter noticed how Basti flirted discreetly with Leah. He also helped June to cut an intractable steak. He seemed to be good with kids. Leah's eyes sparkled all evening. I had never seen her this happy.

It was close to midnight when we accompanied Julia, Marie and Basti to their car.

"It was a wonderful evening. The food was as delicious as I expected and the company was even better," Julia smiled at me.

"Yeah, thanks for having us. I had a great time, too," Marie said. Aaron had chatted briskly with her. He didn't flirt, but that was probably good considering Marie's opinion on long-distance relationships.

"If you two happen to watch over me again the next days, why don't you just ring the bell and join us?" Julia suggested.

"I would like to see you again," Basti whispered to Leah.

"That's good because I was planning to accept Julia's offer," she whispered back.

His eyes wandered over her face and lingered on her lips. She subconsciously leaned closer, but then he just kissed her cheek quickly and climbed into the car. Julia and Marie got in, too, and we waved as they drove off. Leah sighed disappointed.

"Give him time," I said, "Maybe he's just not one to rush into relationships."

* * *

_Just like Seth and Leah you'll have to wait some more to find out what Basti really knows and how his family can be vampire hunters too. I know that nothing exciting happens at the moment, but I wanted to show how Leah and Basti's relationship slowly progresses.  
_

_We have achieved an average of three reviews per chapter :) Keep them coming! I also always like to hear from people who haven't reviewed yet!_

_Next update will be on Thursday and then the next on Saturday. The words don't flow easily at the moment but that's going to get better when I reach the point where Basti answers everyone's questions._


	27. Chapter 26

_Thank you for the reviews, daydreamer357, Stars-In-The-Eyes, EliseInWonderland247 and KittyPimms!_

_Stars-In-The-Eyes, thank you, it's good to know that my intention to make it cute didn't go unnoticed :)_

_EliseInWonderland247, I was already wondering how I had chased you off. Good to know you're still there and still enjoying the story!_

_KittyPimms, when Seth first met Basti, he estimated him to be about thirty. In fact, he's 28. Maybe you remember from Roasted Squirrels that Embry was 30, so now he's 31 and I guess you know that Leah is a bit older than him. That makes her 35 and due to her abnormal aging she looks like 29. So Basti is indeed younger, but from the looks the difference isn't really noticeable._

_There's a small German lesson in this chapter. Those of you who are interested can find a pronunciation guide at the bottom of the page._

* * *

**Balance of life and death**

Leah and I spent almost every day with our imprints. From the second day on Basti and Leah would separate from the rest of us. As far as I knew, they didn't do more than talking and kissing. I also left sometimes to give Marie time alone with Julia. They also had short German conversations right in front of me when they wanted to exchange private thoughts. The language sounded harsh to me.

"Can you teach me a few words?" I asked after another German exchange between the two girls. It was Basti and Marie's last day, tomorrow they would fly back to Germany. Izzy was with us, too, because she and Marie had become quite close.

"Oh, yes, please!" she exclaimed. Julia and Marie exchanged a glance.

"Well, what do you want to know?" Julia asked.

"What's _I love you_?" Izzy demanded eagerly.

"Ich liebe dich," Marie replied. Izzy tried to repeat the words, but even I could tell that it sounded different. Marie giggled and repeated slowly, "Ich lie-be dich."

Although I didn't plan on saying these words sincerely anytime soon, I tried to say them. Julia grinned.

"Hey, don't make fun of us!" Izzy complained, "It's not like your 'th' is any better!"

"Sorry, but it _does_ sound funny coming from you!" Marie chuckled.

"Okay, what's _hello_?" I asked.

"Hallo," Julia supplied.

"Oh, great, that's easy! Hallo!" Izzy's enthusiasm was contagious.

"What do you say for _Good night_?" she asked next.

"Gute Nacht," Marie said.

"Ugh," I groaned, "Who invented these strange sounds?"

Marie and Julia laughed out loud.

"We could say the same about your 'th'," Marie replied.

"Goo-te Nackt," I tried, causing Julia and Marie to burst out laughing again.

"Nackt means nude," Julia explained with tears running down her cheeks. I blushed lightly.

"Okay, I'm never going to say _Good night_ in German again," I chuckled along with them.

"Alright, next. What's _How are you_?" Izzy asked.

"Wie geht es dir," Julia provided.

„What? Why do you need four words for that?" Izzy complained.

"The French only need two. But we need four. Live with it," Marie shrugged.

"You can shorten it to _Wie geht's dir_," Julia added.

"Vee gets deer?" Izzy tried.

"Um, quite. It's a long 'e'. Wie _geht's_ dir," Julia corrected, prolonging the 'e'.

"And what would you answer?" I asked.

"_Fine_ would be _gut_, _not well_ would be _schlecht_ and for anything in between you'd say _na ja_," she answered.

"Ugh, again that horrible sound," I complained. Just then Leah poked her head inside the room.

"Seth, Basti wants to tell us something," she said. Her cheeks were tear-stained, but she seemed excited about what Basti had to tell us and I jumped up. Was he finally going to tell us the secrets of his extended knowledge and his family? Marie's jaw clenched. Did she know what her brother wanted to talk to us about? I followed Leah to the guest room Basti was staying in.

"Thanks for coming, Seth," he smiled slightly. Leah sat down on the bed and Basti took a seat beside her, taking her hand in his. I leaned against the wall across the room, averting my eyes from this slightly intimate gesture.

"Leah just told me about her plans to book a flight to Germany as soon as possible," Basti said and I looked up to see him looking at me. He turned back to Leah.

"I don't want you to do that," he said softly. I rolled my eyes. Why did he need me here to tell her that? To solace her when she broke down? Leah had her back to me so I couldn't see her face.

"What?" she whispered barely audibly.

"I don't want you to fly to Germany because I don't want to be separated from you."

Leah shook her head.

"That makes no sense."

"It does. Because I'm not going to be in Germany."

"Why not?" Leah asked slightly anxious. Hadn't she listened to him? Did she expect him to be somewhere else than Washington? If he didn't want to be separated from her he had to stay here.

"Because I'm staying, duh!" Basti chuckled.

"You do?" Leah exclaimed happily.

"Yes I do."

She kissed him forcefully. I cleared my throat and thankfully they pulled apart.

"But why?" Leah asked out of breath, "I mean, you barely know me."

He smiled at her and caressed her cheek.

"I couldn't do that to you," he glanced at me and continued, "I might not know _you_ very well yet, but I do know _what_ you are and what _I_ am to you."

Now it got interesting and I subconsciously leaned forward.

"Really? What am I?" Leah's voice trembled slightly.

"A shape-shifter. You can turn into a wolf, either a white one or a light grey one."

So he did indeed know our secret.

"I'm light grey," I could hear the smile in her voice, "And you're not scared of me?"

"No, not at all. I know you'd never hurt me."

"How do you know about imprinting?" I burst out curiously.

"Imprinting? Is that what you call finding your mate?"

"Our soul mate, to be exact," Leah clarified.

He smiled to himself.

"So it's true that your bonds are stronger," he muttered.

"What?" Leah asked. Basti looked at both of us.

"There is a reason why my family knows about vampires. I told you that we used to be vampire hunters. In fact, we are very similar to you. We descend from a very old bloodline of shape-shifters."

I pushed myself off the wall.

"Impossible!"

Basti chuckled.

"Did you think you were the only ones? Vampires aren't meant to be. Immortality is unnatural. It destroys the balance of life and death. All over the world evolution reacted to that imbalance and created bloodlines like yours and mine. Most of them developed independently from each other, that's why we aren't completely the same. My great-great-great-grandfather was a shifter and a zoologist. He travelled the world and found traces of other shifters on every continent. There are at least two other bloodlines in Europe and one in Siberia who all shift into wolves. He found shifters who turn into tigers in India and some members of an African tribe can turn into lions. He also came to Washington and heard the legends of your tribe, though it seems that at the time there were no active Quileute shape-shifters because he didn't find their scent anywhere."

I was stunned. How could there be so many shape-shifters that the Volturi were totally oblivious of?

"So are you a shape-shifter yourself?" Leah asked with wide eyes.

"No, not yet at least. I carry the gene and I would even be an Alpha. Maybe you noticed that I never touched the Cullens. If I came in touch with a vampire before my thirtieth birthday, I would change for the first time. Afterwards I could never be in the same room as a vampire in my human form like you can. Their scent would make me change into wolf form and my instincts would make me attack them. Your Alpha isn't venomous, is he?"

"No, of course not," Leah replied.

"I would be. The venom would be deathly for vampires, but it also has a drawback. A Reichenbach Alpha carries the burden of being responsible for his pack mates' fate. Wolves naturally travel in packs and I wouldn't be able to stay alone. My instinct would tell me who of my relatives carries the gene, too, without the potential of becoming an Alpha. I couldn't resist to infect at least one of them with my venom and that would change them into wolves, too. A Reichenbach who is not meant to be an Alpha can't be changed by a vampire, only by an Alpha. We've been mistaken for werewolves a lot in the past, but we truly aren't. We have control over our wolf, they haven't. We need the gene, they can infect any random human. They kill both vampires and humans, we only kill vampires. Please, don't think badly of me," he begged in the end.

"What, you would bite your relatives and that way turn them into shape-shifters?"

"No, I wouldn't have to bite. The venom would be in my saliva. A kiss would be enough. My grandfather was an Alpha and he never kissed his sons or me. I know, even without biting it sounds cruel to change a relative, but as I said, wolves don't like to be alone. It's an instinct as strong as any survival instincts that tells you that you need at least one pack member."

"Well, if you changed here, you wouldn't have to change anybody else because you could simply join our pack."

"I couldn't take on a subordinate role in a pack. I would need my own pack."

"I would always join you," Leah said. Basti smiled slightly.

"But you don't age as long as you keep turning into your wolf form, right? I would. You would have to stop changing eventually if you didn't want to survive me by decades. Anyway, I don't really want to be a shape-shifter. I've fought in a human war and I don't think I could handle a supernatural war."

"Of course, I understand that."

"Would you imprint on Leah if you phased?" I asked.

"Probably. Although our kind of imprinting is not the same as yours. We call it finding our Minnia. From what I know about your legends, you couldn't stand to lose your mate. Your mate is the other half not only of your genes, but also of your soul. Our Minnia is a girl or woman who matches our personality and who's genes, combined with ours, would produce strong wolves. But there can be more than one. If a Minnia dies, her wolf can find a new one."

"What else is different about you?" I asked. Even if I still couldn't see her romantically, it was inevitable that Julia and I ended up together and probably had kids someday. I wanted to know how different my sons could be from me if they phased.

"I'm not quite sure," Basti shrugged, "the height, the looks, the strength maybe. I think our mind connection is different from yours. Subordinate pack members can only communicate with their Alpha. They only hear what the Alpha wants them to hear. They can send him thoughts intentionally or he can pry into their minds and get to know their every thought."

"And you're really staying with me?" Leah asked, back to her worries.

"Of course. You have your pack, your children and the Den here. I only have my job and my family in Germany. My aunt and my cousin already live here, too. Just let's not rush anything, okay? We know that we're meant for each other, but let's take it slow and easy nonetheless."

"Okay."

She kissed him again and I took the chance to leave.

* * *

_Pronunciation guide:_

_Ich liebe dich: Both 'ch' are like the first 'ch' in Reichenbach which was like the 'h' in 'human'; 'liebe' is something like 'lee-be' (the 'e' at the end of a word is always audible in German, as in 'the')_

_Hallo: the 'a' is the same as in Basti and in Reichenbach, like 'u' in 'but', other than that it's the same as 'hello'_

_Gute Nacht: "goo-te" (e is audible) "nacht", with 'a' as in 'hallo', 'Basti' etc; the 'ch' is like the second 'ch' in 'Reichenbach' (which was like 'ch' in 'Loch Ness' and a bit like 'j' in Spanish 'Juan')_

_Wie geht es dir: "vee geht es deer"; the 'e' in 'geht' is kind of difficult to explain, maybe you could say that it's like the 'e' in 'explain', but longer_

_Gut: "goot"_

_Schlecht: "shlecht", the 'ch' is the one that sounds like 'h' in 'human'_

_Na ja: "na ya", with each 'a' as above in 'Hallo', 'Nacht', etc._

* * *

_Next update on Saturday! Review please!_


	28. Chapter 27

_I am so sorry for being one day late. I felt kind of depressed and lonely yesterday. I was nowhere in the mood of writing, let alone a romance. Even though I broke my word that I would update yesterday, I think it was right not to write yesterday. I probably would have come up with something, but today was a really good day to write and the words flowed more easily than during the past week. The chapter even got a life of its own and carried me off. Julia was supposed to get to know about shape-shifters in this chapter, but I never got that far. I really like this chapter and I hope you do, too!_

_Thank you for the reviews, KittyPimms, WolvePackForever and Fire and Ice 22!_

_WolvePackForever, I think Basti mentioned in an earlier chapter that in his family "it's always only been the men". So, no, Marie and Julia couldn't be changed. If somebody had imprinted on Marie, that must have happened in the Christmas chapter because she met all the shape-shifters back then. Even with their shape-shifter bloodline I would have found it too much if all Reichenbachs get imprinted on. After all, imprinting is about more than just the genes, the soul has to match, too._

* * *

**Inner Cinema**

The next day Julia and Basti brought Marie to the airport. She was sad that her brother stayed here and she didn't understand his decision. He had only told her yesterday and ever since she had glared at Leah even more than usual. Basti had told Leah a few days after Christmas not to take Marie's attitude personal. Apparently he had once had a summer fling and expected it to become more than just that. The girl had broken his heart and not been the least bit sorry about it. Basti had suffered a relapse from his PTSD and Marie hated his ex for it. Despite being more than ten years younger, she was protective of her brother and didn't want him to go through something like that ever again. Now that Basti and Leah turned their 'fling' – which actually had been more than that from the beginning – into something more permanent, Marie wasn't content either, because she was close to her brother and didn't want him to live on the other side of the world.

We were all glad that nobody had imprinted on her. That had nothing to do with how she treated Leah though. It would have just been difficult. Her imprinter would have had to move to Germany where he would have been all on his own if he ever crossed a vampire. Basti was also glad, because he didn't want her to get involved with this world. It was bad enough that she knew about vampires. She shouldn't live in fear for her imprinter's life and the knowledge that her sons might phase, too. Of course she still carried the gene and the sons she might have with her future German husband would have the potential to phase, but she didn't need to know that. Their cousin would pass down the family secret to her sons at the due time.

One day later Basti pulled me aside when I came home from my fifth day at college. I was wondering what he even did at my place. The Cullens were nowhere to be seen, which he was probably grateful for. How could he get into the house when there was nobody home?

"When are you going to tell her?" he demanded to know.

I looked at him quizzically.

"You know what I'm talking about. When are you going to tell Julia what you are?"

I swallowed.

"Not anytime soon."

He pressed his lips into a thin line and stared at me disapprovingly.

"Why not?" he pressed.

"That's none of your business," I replied sharply and turned to leave. He came after me and put a hand on my shoulder to stop me.

"It is. I can help you with it. And you really shouldn't wait any longer. She hates big secrets that are kept from her."

I huffed.

"So she's leaving me anyway when I tell her, no matter if I tell her today or in three years. I'd rather enjoy her company a little longer."

"It _is_ a difference if you keep something from her for three months or for three years. Seth, she likes you a lot. If I tell her that our family has a very similar gene anomaly she won't leave you for what you are. I'm not saying that it's going to be easy. We'll have a lot of explaining to do. But it will only make it worse if you wait."

I sighed frustrated and closed my eyes.

"I can't lose her. Ever," I mumbled and looked at him again, not bothering to hide the fear in my eyes.

"I know. As I said, I will help you as best as I can. Julia is kind of friends with the minnia of your Deputy Alpha, right? I forgot their names…," he trailed off.

"Embry and Autumn," I provided.

"Autumn, right. Maybe she should be there as well when you tell Julia."

"I can't…," I broke off. I wasn't ready to tell Julia yet.

"You have to," he insisted. I shook my head.

"Not yet."

"It's not going to get easier. Once you've romantically bonded with her you'll only be even more attached to her and more afraid of losing her. Let's do it today, when she's back from school. Get it over with."

"We're not going to bond romantically any time soon," I tried to argue.

"Sure, keep telling yourself that," he said, his voice dripping of sarcasm, "I've been watching you."

I shrugged confused.

"So?"

Basti scoffed.

"I've caught you staring at her ass and her cleavage several times. You're attracted to her. Don't deny it."

I was taken aback by his words. I hadn't stared… or had I? Sure, she was hot, but I would notice if my feelings for her changed, right? _When did you start calling her hot instead of pretty_, an inner voice asked me. I really couldn't tell. Maybe it started at the party, when she danced, well, the way she danced? I realized that I had to stop picturing her dancing when my pants suddenly felt tighter. My body definitely hadn't reacted that way at the party. _That_ I would remember. I quickly turned away from Basti, embarrassed. He chuckled lightly.

"Shut up!" I hissed.

"You know I'll castrate you if you dare pressure her into something, right?" he said way more seriously.

I shot back around.

"Apparently you haven't fully grasped the concept of imprinting yet. I don't know about your minnias, but it's impossible to pressure an _imprint _into something she doesn't want. I could never do that to her. And just because my body is ready for that kind of relationship doesn't mean my mind is as well. I don't know if I can ever sleep with a girl again, so shut the fuck up!"

My eyes widened, realizing only now what I had just confessed to him in my rant. I rushed out the house and into the forest, where I stripped out of my clothes and phased. I needed to blow off some steam by running and clear my head by asking any phased pack member to distract me with a happy memory. Because currently Cora was occupying my mind and I wanted these pictures out of my head asap.

'Hi Seth,' Zack greeted me, 'What's bitten you?'

I shut my mental walls tighter as my mood must have slipped through. Zack was the last pack member I would want to know what Cora did to me. Was there nobody else phased? I let that thought pass by my shield.

'Ruby had some trouble at school and Simon went to console her. Our patrol is over in half an hour anyway and everything seems peaceful. Why? Did you want something?'

'I need someone to distract me. Would you, by any chance, be able to show me some happy memories?'

I didn't really expect him to say yes. He wasn't the type of guy who knew how to help others. He couldn't handle a crying girl, let alone a broken guy like me.

'Happy memories?' Zack repeated in a skeptical, confused voice.

I couldn't stop the whine escaping my snout when Cora gripped my dick too tight in the memory.

'Okay, okay,' Zack said quickly, 'let me think. Happy memory… how about that?'

_Leah and I stood in front of the Den which at that time had been labeled _Ocean View Restaurant_. Edward handed us the keys, smiling brightly._

_ 'It's yours.'_

_ 'No way!' I exclaimed. Bella and he had told us that they had a surprise for us and drove us to the old restaurant that had been unoccupied for two years._

_ 'You're kidding,' Leah said beside me, with the biggest smile on her face ever since Sam had broken up with her._

_ 'No, we're not,' Edward grinned._

_ 'We thought of ways to thank you for your friendship and loyalty these past years,' Bella explained._

_ Leah blushed and looked down in embarrassment. She really only had been loyal to Jake and me and was still far away from seeing the Cullens as friends._

_ 'I know that you and Emily used to dream of running your own little restaurant before… well you know,' Edward said directed at Leah. He meant before Leah started hating Emily for 'stealing' Sam from her._

_ 'Maybe Emily would like to be your cook, now that you're on better terms again,' he added._

_ 'But it's for both of you,' Bella smiled at me, 'Edward seems to think that you would like to have a restaurant, too.'_

_ I just stared agape at the Den. I had always wanted to make something out of my life. Protecting the tribe sure fell into that category already, but I wanted something that could one day feed a family. Fighting vampires neither paid the bills nor left time to go to college. Now here I stood, in front of my own restaurant. We 'just' needed to make it a success._

Zack followed my train of thought and went over to another memory.

_The Den was crowded with regular guests who had been invited to celebrate our tenth anniversary with us. We made enough money with the Den that Leah could easily feed her family, even with the high expenses for her husband's liquor. And there was enough left that I would be able to feed a future family of mine, too. The tribal council congratulated us and thanked us for the visitors that the reservation had because of us. They had to pass some of the other Quileute businesses on their way to the Den and as a result the whole reservation was doing better today than ten years ago. I nearly burst with pride._

That had definitely been one of the happiest days in my life.

'Thank you. That was exactly what I needed.'

'Yeah, uh, good,' Zack replied awkwardly. I chuckled. He wasn't used to people thanking him, mainly because there usually wasn't anything to thank him for. Zack growled at me.

'I don't feel so sorry for your future imprint anymore,' I teased, 'You do after all have a good heart.'

I ran back to where I had left my clothes and phased back. I heard Basti talking to Leah in the house.

"I don't understand why my words agitated him like that! Why would he say that he doesn't know if he's ever going to sleep with a girl again? I know he's been tortured, but… he hasn't been castrated, has he?"

Basti sounded desperate and regretful.

"Not to my knowledge. I don't know why he would say that and react like that either. He hasn't really talked to me about his capture."

"You should probably try to find him," Basti said.

"No need for that. He's back," Leah replied.

"I've got to apologize," he said and I heard his footsteps approaching the back door that I had fled through earlier. I opened it and walked in, hoping that he wouldn't question me about earlier. I came face-to-face with him and he took a step back.

"I'm so sorry, Seth. I didn't mean to upset you. And I didn't even ever really think that you would be that kind of guy who pressures a girl into something. I know you're not."

I nodded curtly to acknowledge his apology.

"Let's don't mention it again," I said and hoped that he would get the clue that 'it' included the reason for my reaction. "I'm going to ask Autumn to come to Port Angeles tomorrow and support us. I need a night to prepare myself for this."

"Alright," he nodded, "I'll be right here."

I smiled tight-lipped and headed to my room. I heard lighter steps than Basti's follow me.

"I'm not going to tell you, Leah. Don't even try."

She said nothing, but since her steps continued to follow me I knew that she would try despite my words. I shut the door to my room behind me, contemplating for a second if I should lock it. If I did, she'd probably wait in front of it and annoy me until I had enough and let her in. So I left it unlocked, plopped down on my bed and stared at the plain ceiling. Not a second later the door was opened and the light steps came into my room. The door clapped shut and it was silent. Then I could hear Leah sitting down in the wicker chair.

"Make yourself at home," I said sarcastically.

Leah cleared her throat.

"I've always known that there had been more. That Jake and Embry kept something from me when they said you were being starved and tortured."

"Leah," I gritted my teeth, "I just successfully reburied the memories that your boyfriend dug out. Leave them where they are, I beg you."

She kept quiet and I thought she'd actually drop the subject. But then she drew in a shaky breath. Shaky as in 'I'm crying but I'm trying to stop' shaky. I turned to look at her. She looked right back at me, tears streaming down her face.

"What did that sadistic bitch do to you that you're afraid of making love?" she whispered barely audibly.

Cora once again forced herself in front of my inner eyes and I squeezed my real eyes shut. Of course that was of no use and I opened them again.

"Ugh, well done, Leah. How do I get rid of the inner cinema this time?"

"I'm sorry," Leah sobbed, "but please, talk to me."

I shook my head.

"I can't. Not about this."

"Did she castrate you?" she asked in the same low whisper as her first question.

"No! Just drop it, Leah, okay?" I got up and went back downstairs. Basti looked curiously at me as I passed him, but he didn't say anything. I drove to Julia's school and followed the tug at my heart until I stood in front of a classroom. Among all the other scents I couldn't make out Julia's, but I could smell that Alice was in this classroom, so it was likely that Julia was in there, too, and my heart hadn't misled me. I pulled my cell phone out and texted her. _I need u. I'm right outside ur classroom. Can u come?_

By now I could barely restrain my own tears.

"Yes, Julia?" a female voice asked.

"Please, can I go to the restrooms?"

"If it's really necessary. Hurry."

Julia hadn't fully closed the classroom door when I already had her in a tight hug. She gasped surprised and kicked the door shut before she returned the hug. I buried my face in the crook of her neck and let the tears flow. Julia stroked my back silently. She didn't need to say anything, just be there for me and hold me.

Finally my tears ran dry.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

"Any time," she replied, "Come on, class is over soon. You won't want the other students to see you like this."

She led me to her locker, grabbed her things and went on to the parking lot.

"What about the stuff you left in the classroom?" I asked her.

"Alice will certainly take care of it."

We both climbed into the Mustang.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked me when I didn't immediately start the car.

I shrugged.

"Basti pushed my buttons and I wasn't thinking. I hinted something about my… sexual issues and ran off. Zack helped me to distract myself from the memories and I went back. Meanwhile, Basti had told Leah and she wanted to know what I had meant. The memories were right back and this time they led to a breakdown. Better than a panic attack, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess."

She grabbed my hand and squeezed it.

"Do you want me to call Mom that I'm not helping out in the bakery today?"

I smiled gratefully at her.

"No. I'm fine now. But your mom won't mind if I keep you two company, would she?"

"Of course not. Let's go."

* * *

_Next update tomorrow. Review please!  
_


	29. Chapter 28

_Thank you for reviewing, WolvePackForever, EliseInWonderland247 and KittyPimms!_

_KittyPimms, I'm glad I was able to cheer you up. I wish I had a cat like yours!_

* * *

**Safe aura test**

Unfortunately, Autumn couldn't join us. According to her the teachers had all lost their minds over Christmas break and were flooding them with loads of homework and a big project which Olivia and her would need the entire weekend for.

I had asked the Cullens to leave. Basti and Leah had arrived an hour ago and Leah had made breakfast for us. I just picked at my food though. I felt sick.

"It's going to work out. It always works out in the end," Leah soothed.

"There's always a first time," I muttered darkly. I jumped at the sound of the doorbell. Julia knew that she could just come in, but she always rang the bell to announce her arrival before she allowed herself in.

"Let's move over to the living room," Basti suggested. He and Leah went ahead and I followed with a heavy heart. Julia entered the living room from the opposite side with a bright smile that faded when she saw me. She rushed towards me with concern evident in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly, grabbing my arms, "Did they pester you again?"

She glared shortly at Basti and Leah.

"No, they didn't. I – We've got to talk," I sighed heavily.

"Okay, let's go up to your room."

"No," I held her back, "here. Basti has something to tell you, too."

She frowned confused. I led her to the large couch and Basti and I sat down on either side of her.

"Did someone die? Marie?" she asked starting to panic.

"No, no. Marie is safely back in Hamburg. Nobody died. This is about our tribal secret and the secret of your family."

"You're vampire hunters and my family used to be the same. So what?" she asked still confused.

I took a deep breath. Basti nodded encouragingly at me.

"I told you that no normal human can fight off vampires. There's a reason why we fulfill the preconditions. And it actually takes more than them to kill a vampire. It's some kind of gene anomaly. When we reach a certain age, usually at about sixteen, and there are vampires in the area, the gene is activated. Our bodies change to prepare us for becoming protectors of the tribe. We grow fast, grow muscles and our body temperature rises to a seeming fever. When the preparation is finished," I gulped and continued in a low voice, "we phase."

"Phase? What do you phase?"

"The correct question would be _into_ what we phase."

My stomach churned. I couldn't tell her.

"What does that mean? Do you… change into something else?"

Her heart beat sped up. This was not good. I nodded weakly.

"Into what?" she whispered and stiffened. I opened my mouth to say it, but I couldn't get the words out. It was as if I had been alpha commanded. I closed my useless mouth and looked pleadingly at Basti. Leah held out a picture frame to me that was turned downward.

"If you can't say it, maybe you can show her," she said softly.

I turned the frame, shielding the picture from Julia's view. It was a picture from my room which showed Leah as a wolf. I wondered when she had taken it downstairs. I looked back at Julia.

"Keep an open mind, please," I whispered.

She nodded hesitantly and squirmed uncomfortably. I handed her the frame and she stared at the picture for a moment. Then she looked back up at me with furrowed brows.

"That's what we turn into," my voice broke. Her eyes widened rather slowly before she dropped the frame and bolted off the couch. She whirled around and stepped backwards, not leaving me out of her sight, staring at me with horror-stricken eyes. My heart stung and I felt as if with every step she took away from me, someone was tearing at my heart with more force, trying to rip it out of my chest.

"Wait, Julia," Basti interfered now, "There's no need to judge him. Shape-shifters don't kill, they pro-," she cut him off.

"Shape-shifters?" her voice trembled, "I'm not dumb, Basti. He's a werewolf! A monster! No better than a vampire! Are they even your natural enemies? Or was that just a trick to get me to trust you, so that you could bite me and turn me into one of you? I know I'm probably not able to outrun you. But I'm going to try."

And with that she whirled around and darted for the door. Leah was up in an instant and dashed to the door, successfully reaching it before Julia and blocking it. Julia recoiled.

"You're one, too!" she accused, "So did you already turn Basti? Made him your weak-willed subordinate?"

Tears streamed down her face. I wanted to solace her so badly, but I was afraid to approach her. She would probably freak out or faint.

"Nobody turned anybody here!" I said desperately, "It's all in the genes. Nothing would happen if I bit you. And even if I were able to turn you I never would!"

"No need to keep me prisoner then, right? Let me go. I promise I'll keep my mouth shut."

She made a hesitative step towards Leah and the door. My sister shook her head.

"You can't leave Seth. He needs you."

"If I actually mean anything to him, he'll understand me and let me leave."

Leah made no move to give way.

"Let her go, Leah," I said somewhat blankly.

"No. I will not watch you suffer over her loss."

"Let her go," I growled and tried to put my former Beta force into it, only to regret it instantly when Julia flinched and fear returned into her features. Leah ignored her and growled right back at me, proving that I wasn't Beta anymore and wasn't close to becoming it once again either. She turned back to Julia.

"Let him explain completely. And maybe you should ask Basti how your family hunted vampires. If you still want to abandon him in the end, I will – most reluctantly – let you."

Julia's head shot to Basti.

"Our family has the same gene anomaly. You and I both carry the gene that made some of our male ancestors turn into wolves whenever they smelled a vampire. Women always only carry it and hand it over to their children, so you could never change. But your sons could. In our family's case, the gene of a man can be activated between the fifteenth and thirtieth birthday by touching a vampire. That's why I always keep my distance to the Cullens."

Julia stared at him and sank to the ground.

"I think I might faint," she murmured.

"There is nothing bad about descending from a line of shape-shifters," I tried to assure her, "Shape-shifters are the good ones. We fight vampires to protect humans. I told you before and I'm saying it again: I'm not dangerous at all. We protect and the only creatures we kill are vampires. We're not venomous or something like that. We don't bite people when we're in wolf form. Our human minds are still in charge and I would never do anything as a wolf that I wouldn't approve of when I'm back in my human form. I could never hurt you. Please, Julia, you have to believe me," I begged.

She looked up at me and I could see the indecision in her eyes. She got up and came closer. Again not leaving me out of sight, she fumbled for the picture. The glass had broken and she winced when she cut her finger. I leaned forward, the urge to protect her from any harm taking over.

"Stay where you are," she begged and retreated backwards with the picture in one hand and the bleeding finger of her other hand tucked in her mouth. She studied the picture and I was glad that Leah had brought that one and not the one of Embry and me play fighting. Even though we had been playing it looked aggressive to an outsider. Leah's picture on the other hand was that of a friendly looking wolf. The tail was a little blurred, indicating that she had been wagging it.

"That's Leah," I stated hoarsely.

"So, all those pictures in the VIP room," she had never stopped calling it that, "that's you and your friends?"

"Yes."

Suddenly her eyes shot wide open again.

"Oh my God," she got up from the floor and walked towards Leah, "I'm leaving. I listened and now I'm allowed to go."

She kneaded her fingers nervously, waiting for Leah to step aside.

"You haven't heard everything yet," my sister stood adamantly rooted to the ground.

"Wh-what led to this decision, Julia?" I required with trembling lips, "I mean, one moment you sit there and seem to adjust to the thought and the next you are shocked and get up to leave. What crossed your mind that shocked you?"

"Emily's scars. You said it was one of the wolves."

"But I also said that it was an accident!"

I got up and made a hesitative step towards her.

"Please, Julia. Don't leave me. I will never hurt you. And I'd rather die than let someone else hurt you."

"Who was it?" she stepped back every time I stepped forward, so I stopped trying to approach her.

"Sam," Leah answered.

"Sam!?" Julia exclaimed disbelievingly.

"He was inexperienced. The phasing is triggered by anger. A shape-shifter can learn to control that and not phase whenever he's angry, but Sam had only been phasing for a few weeks and didn't know how to control it. He got angry and Emily stood too close when he phased. Today all of us, except for Dave, have a lot of years of experience and don't phase unless we want to. Hell, if I still phased whenever I got angry I would have phased when Archie attacked you! And then again in the middle of Drew's kitchen."

"A lot of years of experience? I thought it starts when you're sixteen. And now you're nineteen. Three years aren't a lot."

I sighed.

"I'm not nineteen."

Her eyebrows rose.

"What?"

"When we start phasing we stop aging. Once we stop to phase and sort of retire, we start aging again."

"So what, are you a century old, like Edward and Alice?"

"No, none of us is that old, although it would be possible. I'm twenty-nine."

She plopped back down on the ground.

"What else should I know?"

I took in a deep breath. Telling her about imprinting right after she learned that there was a thirteen year gap between us didn't really seem that promising.

"Remember what I said about Jake and Nessie's relationship? And Collin and Janelle's?"

"Weren't they supposed to be soul mates?"

"Exactly. That's called imprinting. Not all Quileute can imprint, only the shape-shifters."

Julia shrugged.

"So?"

"Make a guess."

She thought for a few seconds. Then her eyes widened yet again.

"No way."

My hurt must have shown on my face, because she rushed towards me.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it that way!"

She crouched down in front of me and took my hand in hers. I immediately felt better, now that she didn't keep her distance anymore. But would it last?

"I just, I mean, I guess," she stuttered before she was able to sort her words, "I can't believe that I have a soul mate. And a shape-shifter, to top it off. But… I guess I'm glad that it's you."

Hope warmed my heart and I smiled uncertainly. There had to be a rub in it.

"I like you and somehow, I always felt safe with you, even during the time I thought you were a criminal. I just have to stop picturing you as a werewolf and remember that. I understand now why I was able to help you so much. I guess I can imagine what I would do to you if I told you that I never wanted to see you again. I couldn't do that anymore. But I'll need a few days to wrap my head around it, okay?"

I nodded weakly.

"I'll be back. Promise," she squeezed my hands and let go.

"Will you feel uncomfortable, knowing that I'm in my wolf form in your garden, watching over you? I can stay away," I offered reluctantly.

"Um, no. I mean, I have vampires watching over me at times. I shouldn't mind a supposedly harmless shape-shifter. But don't try to contact me in any way. I'll come to you when I'm ready."

"Okay," I smiled sadly. Julia headed for the door and this time, Leah let her pass. I watched her through the window as she got into her Mini and drove away. Leah stepped beside me and caressed my back.

"She promised to come back. Everything's going to be alright."

I nodded numbly. It still felt like I had lost her. What if she just felt obligated to return and pretend to be my friend, but would never really be comfortable with me again?

* * *

When I was lying in the snow in her garden that night, I heard her restlessly tossing and turning in her bed. From time to time she grunted frustrated and cursed in German. Around four o'clock in the morning she finally managed to fall asleep.

Without having slept myself I went to La Push the next day. There was a wedding at the Den and I could need the work to distract me. Basti and I rearranged the tables and decorated them while Leah and Emily were busy in the kitchen. A car pulled onto the parking lot and Basti looked up.

"The guests aren't coming for another hour, right?"

"That's Julia," I said surprised and tried to restrain the hope that was trying to settle in my chest. I had recognized the sound of her Mini before I saw the red car. Not a minute later she came through the door, an unsure smile on her pretty face.

"Hey," she let the syllable slowly fade away.

"Hey," I smiled. _Don't get your hopes up yet_, my inner voice pestered me.

"Can I just silently keep you company?" she bit her lip.

"Sure," I frowned, "But why would you do that? You're usually not exactly silent."

She blushed.

"I just need to see something."

"What?" I asked curiously.

"I'll tell you later," she said and plopped down on a chair. I felt a bit self-conscious as she watched my every move. But it had to be a good sign that it didn't seem to bother her when I came close and started putting name plates on the table she sat at. Right?

"Ten minutes until the guests arrive. Are you ready, guys?" Leah called from the kitchen.

"Just finished," I replied. Julia got up from her seat and neatly placed the chair back into row.

"Come outside with me for a moment?" she asked me quietly.

She put her arm around my back and I couldn't stop the grin that spread on my face. That definitely was a good sign. Outside, she leaned against me and looked up at me.

"You passed the test."

"Which test?"

"The safe aura test."

"The what?" I chuckled.

"What I wanted to see while I was sitting there was how I felt in your presence today. Yesterday was uncomfortable and scary, even in the end. This morning I decided that there was no need to fear you. But I wasn't quite sure if I just told that myself because I knew that I couldn't abandon you or if I really believed it. So I came here to see if I was subconsciously still scared. I wasn't. The safe aura you used to radiate was back."

I put my hands on her waist and picked her up to spin her around. She squeaked in surprise and laughed. I put her back down gently and hugged her.

"Thank you so much," I whispered.

"I'm sorry I freaked," she replied.

"Doesn't matter now."

"Is it… is it normal that I feel a pull towards you?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yes, that's the imprint bond."

She started shivering and I led her back inside to warm up. Behind us the first car filled with people in fancy clothes turned onto the parking lot.

* * *

_There's not much left for this story so it'll probably be complete by the end of this week. And then we can get started on the sequel :)_

_Please review, I can never get enough of them._

_Next update on Wednesday._


	30. Chapter 29

_Thank you for this great amount of reviews, Fire and Ice 22, KittyPimms, WolvePackForever, Mrs. Calearohte, Guest and EliseInWonderland247! I know some writers get hundreds of reviews for every chapter, especially Bella/Edward writers, but for ME, six reviews at once is a whole damn lot that makes me jump for joy!  
_

_Mrs. Calearohte, sauce writing skills? :D I'm not sure I understand what sauce in this context means, but I'm sure it's complimenting. You could enjoy my skills some more if you read the sequel. I would miss your reviews if you didn't. Your "review style" is awesome, always so enthusiastic and genuine and cheering me up :)_

_For those interested in German: I just noticed that Google Translate gives you the possibility to listen to the pronunciation and it's quite good even with names, though sometimes the emphasis is weird. Julia, Sebastian, Marie, Silke, Reichenbach, Gute Nacht, Hallo and Ich liebe dich are very well pronounced. Wie geht es dir is okay, though a little weird. And Basti is the worst, you better stick to 'busty'. Hearing the words probably gives you a better idea of how they sound than my pathetic descriptions did ;) Have fun!_

* * *

**Imprints in danger**

Julia and I spent a lot of time together and I had to admit that I was slowly but surely falling for her. I had always been happy to see her, but now I had butterflies in my stomach when she came. I still wasn't sure that I was ready for a relationship though. And what if she didn't like me back in that way? It seemed like every time I overcame the fear to tell her something, the next thing appeared that I was afraid to let her know. Would that ever end? Probably not. When we got together I would eventually want to ask her to move in with me, then marry me, then have kids, then… well, maybe the line of scary conversations would finally end.

On Saturday a week after Julia had learned about my wolf side she and Basti were invited to a winter bonfire. Winter bonfire meant that it wasn't a real bonfire. It was too cold for Billy and the imprints to spend hours at the beach, even with a blazing fire and the warm embrace of their imprinters. Therefore, in winter the 'bonfires' were held in Sam and Emily's living room where we gathered in front of the fireplace.

We went together to La Push at noon. We had passed Forks five minutes ago, when suddenly, out of nowhere, a man stood on the street – a very pale man. I slammed onto the brakes and the car slithered to a halt.

"Sorry, I know you didn't want to see me in wolf form yet," I whispered quickly to Julia before I got out of the car.

"I'll distract him. Drive!" I ordered and exploded into my furry alter ego. I took a step towards the leech and growled while simultaneously sending an emergency call to Chad and Dave who were on patrol.

'Leech on the road to Forks. Two imprints in danger.'

I heard Chad howling to alert the others. He and Dave sprinted towards our location, but I would have to do alone for a few minutes. The leech frowned at me.

'Never seen a shape-shifter?' I smirked and approached him further with raised hackles and bared teeth. I took my time to give the others a chance to arrive before the real fight started. I stopped and looked back when I heard the car door open. Julia climbed out of the car with a blank look on her face, closed the door and stepped away from the car. I shook my head desperately at her. She had to get back in the car and drive away with Basti! Her eyes snapped to me and she blinked confused. When she made a step towards the car again and reached for the handle I quickly turned back around to face the leech.

He smirked. The car tires screeched and I sighed relieved that Basti and Julia would flee now. Although… I hadn't heard the car door clap.

"Basti! Nein! Was tust du denn?" Julia screeched and I whipped my head back around. My heart stopped and my eyes would have widened if I had been in my human form. Julia still stood on the street, her face a mask of panic and fear. Basti had the same blank expression in his eyes that Julia had when she left the car. And he was driving right towards me. It was like in slow motion. I saw the car slowly coming closer although the screeching of the tires had indicated that Basti had stepped on the gas pedal with full force. I needed a full second to react and lunged forward. I wasn't fast enough by a split second. The car front hit my hind legs and my right leg broke audibly. Pain shot through me, but if there was anything good that had come out of my capture, it was my heightened pain threshold. I managed to land on my left leg and looked back to the place where the leech had stood just seconds ago.

He was gone and I whirled around, only to see my worst nightmare, hundred times worse than any memory of Cora, come alive: The leech stood behind Julia. His arm was around her waist and his nose was buried in her hair, inhaling her scent. She tried to wriggle out of his steel-like grip but, of course, to no avail. I leaped towards them, but with only one hind leg I had less force to push myself forward. The bloodsucker grinned evilly. I was still too far away, I could only watch helplessly as he bowed his head, opened his mouth and sank his teeth into her neck.

My world fall to pieces and Cora's voice echoed inside my head, _You'll be alone and miserable forever_. I shook my head. I wouldn't be alone. I just had to get the leech off her before the blood loss was too much. She would turn into a vampire, but we could still stay together. The Cullens would help her to become vegetarian.

The vampire wasn't too keen about a fight, because he dropped Julia before I reached them and fled into the woods. Just then my brothers arrived and followed him right on his heels. I skidded to a halt in front of Julia and phased back. Only then did I hear the approaching car again. I looked over my shoulder to see Basti aiming at me and Julia. Leah, in her wolf form, stepped in between. Basti's blank eyes snapped towards her, confusion and realization entered them and then he pulled the wheel around hard. The car veered off and crashed into a tree. Leah yelped and run towards it while I turned back to Julia. She was unconscious. I kneeled down beside her. I ripped a piece of cloth out of her shirt and pressed it against the still bleeding wound. Tears escaped my eyes. I pulled her upper body onto my lap and held onto her, feeling the warmth of her body that would soon cool down.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered and the first sob shook my shoulders, "I failed to protect you."

I rocked us back and forth, the pain in my leg completely forgotten. A voice in the back of my head argued that she would be tossing and screaming in pain if she was turning into a vampire. I ignored it, because if she wasn't turning, she was dying, and that was nothing I could bear to know. I clutched at the straw that she could go on living as a vampire, that that was better than death.

"Basti, wake up! Please!" Leah was sobbing, too. I heard a slap and assumed that she had lightly slapped his cheek to get him to wake up. He groaned.

"Basti!" Leah exclaimed relieved. A deep growl rose in my throat. It was Basti's fault that the vampire had gotten to Julia. If he hadn't tried to run me over, I would have never left my position _between_ the leech and Julia.

Leah growled back at me.

"Don't blame him! He was in a trance, under hypnosis or something! He would have never done that otherwise!"

She helped Basti out of the car. He had a laceration on his forehead but other than that he seemed fine. His eyes darted to me.

"No!" his eyes widened in panic and he stumbled towards us, still a little dizzy from hitting his head. Leah slowed him down and brought herself in between me and Basti, eyeing me as if I was the enemy. I looked back down at Julia and brushed a strand of hair out of her face.

"Is she dead?" Basti asked frantically. I scoffed.

"Her heart hasn't stopped beating yet, but it's only a matter of time."

Basti sank down next to me and passed his hand over his face.

"What happened? You phased to fight the vampire and told me to drive away and the next thing I know is that I am driving at full speed towards Leah."

"The leech must have a hypnotizing gift. First he hypnotized Julia to get out of the car and then he hexed Basti to run you over," Leah mused and quickly told Basti what she had seen through my mind.

"Why did you step in between? I could have killed you!" he got louder in the end.

"I had seen how the life returned into Julia's eyes when she looked at Seth. I hoped that a look at your soul mate was what it took to break you out of your trance. And it worked."

"It's great and all that you're both alive, but I honestly don't care at the moment," I flared up, "Julia is turning into a vampire right now and although I could never abandon her, even when she stinks, it's going to ruin her life!"

Leah gave me a sympathetic look and laid a supporting hand on my shoulder. Basti furrowed his brows.

"Julia can't turn into a vampire."

"Yes, she can!" I gritted my teeth, "There's vampire venom in her system and unless she's dying she's turning."

Basti smiled and I wanted to punch him.

"She'll do neither of these things. Apparently that's another difference between our bloodlines, because otherwise you'd know. In my family, vampire venom only affects those who are born alphas. Vampire venom makes an Alpha turn into a wolf for the first time, just like the touch of a vampire does. After the first phasing, the venom strengthens the alpha and his whole pack. It really is ironic how the vampires' weapon turns onto themselves. Other gene carriers on the other hand, no matter if male or female, are immune to the venom. It doesn't turn them, it doesn't weaken them and it doesn't strengthen them. It has no effect at all. The women in my family can't phase and they don't have special strength or heightened senses. But they can't become vampires either. They can still get drained and killed by a bloodsucker though. Julia looks pale but I don't think she lost that much blood. She'll live and she'll stay human. You should get dressed before she regains consciousness though."

I looked at him, needing the confidence in his eyes to convince me that he spoke the truth.

"I'll get your spare shorts from the car," Leah said and got up. I couldn't find a single sign of insincerity in Basti's eyes or his face. Tears once again pooled out of my eyes, but this time, they were happy tears. I hunched over Julia and cried. Although I had convinced myself earlier that we could still make it work if she was a vampire, I was relieved beyond measure. It felt like I had been granted a second life, though actually it was Julia who had been granted a second human life by her genes.

"Get dressed," Leah demanded and nudged me. I pulled myself together and carefully put down Julia's head on the cold asphalt. As I stood up, my right leg gave way. I winced and pulled my shorts on hopping on my left foot.

"We should get you both to the hospital. Make sure that her blood loss is cared of and your leg seems to need treatment, too," Leah said.

"Yeah, great idea, but how do we get there? I doubt the car is still working."

I looked at Jake and Nessie's Mustang with resignation. Jake was going to kill me.

"I'll take Julia and run. Basti can support you and you follow at your speed."

Suddenly a worrying thought hit me like lightning.

"Leah, what if that leech hypnotizes our brothers, too? Some of them haven't imprinted, they couldn't be cured by a look into their soul mate's eyes."

Her eyes widened.

"Wouldn't he have hypnotized you as well if he had been able to?" Basti objected.

"I'll check on them quickly," Leah said and disappeared behind some trees to phase. Shortly after she came back.

"They seem to be alright. The leech is very fast though. They've already passed Hoquiam. Chad and Dave are coming back to keep an eye on the reservation while the others continue chasing him for some more miles."

She picked Julia up and started running towards Forks. I put an arm around Basti's shoulders to support my weight and hopped in the same direction.

Shortly before we reached the hospital, Kim slowed down her car next to us and rolled down the window.

"Get in! Leah called me."

Until now I hadn't thought about how I would explain at the hospital why my broken leg had already started healing. It was Kim's free day, but she was always willing to come and patch one of us up when necessary. At the hospital, she ordered me to stay in the car. After a few minutes she came back with a wheelchair. I was grateful, because despite my shape-shifter stamina the hopping had been exhausting. Basti wanted to wheel me, but I insisted to do that myself. My arms were perfectly fine after all. I followed Kim to her office while Basti went to ask where Julia had been brought.

Kim x-rayed my leg and showed me how completely wrong it had healed. Leah showed up right in time. My leg had to be broken again to set it right and Kim didn't have the strength for that. I could have done it myself, but I preferred to grip tightly onto the bench I was lying on and let someone else do it. Kim told Leah where to apply the force. Her touch was already painful and she didn't even warn me when she broke my bones. I cried out and grit my teeth. I grunted and cursed in my head while Kim straightened my leg and splinted it.

Finally she was done and I sat back down in the wheelchair. Leah led us to Julia whom she had left with Basti. She was awake and her face lit up when she saw me, though it fell again almost instantly.

"Are you injured? Your leg…," she trailed off.

"It's going to be fine in a couple of hours," I reassured her and took her hand, "The more important question is, how are _you_?"

She was smiling again and I smiled back, though the worry was still latched onto my face

"I'm fine, thanks to you. They want to keep me in here overnight for observation. I guess I won't get to hear the legends tonight, but that really doesn't matter. If there were any doubts left inside of me that you could be a threat to me in your wolf form, they disappeared today."

"You still thought of me as a big bad wolf?" I asked quietly, hurt.

"Not really. Your wolf form is intimidating, but I didn't think that you'd ever hurt me in either of your forms."

I stood up on my good leg and kissed her forehead.

"I'll call everyone. We'll simply move the bonfire here and you can hear the legends like you were supposed to. I know that you can't wait to hear them."

Her eyes lit up.

"Seth, the visiting hours don't include the night," Kim objected. I grinned cheekily at her.

"I'm sure Dr. Cameron can make an exception for us."

She rolled her eyes.

"I'm always making exceptions when one of you is in here."

* * *

_This was once again a chapter that I hadn't planned like this. I had planned that a vampire would show up, but the rest came with the writing. It wasn't supposed to be this dramatic, but then this idea popped into my head. I have to admit that I like to give my readers a heart attack now and then ;) Like the last time when I let the story get a life of its own, the scene turned out way longer than expected, making this a whole chapter instead of just a small part of it._

_Next update on Friday. Please review! Maybe you can amaze me with seven reviews this time? I highly doubt that, but I would be overjoyed if you proved me wrong!_


	31. Chapter 30

_Thank you for reviewing, WolvePackForever, KittyPimms, JTCA and Mrs. Calearohte!_

_JTCA, thank you for following! I'm not a very confident person, but I'm starting to believe that my written English is pretty good and I hope that that will make me more confident when I have to speak English next time. English has become important in the professional world, at least in Germany, and that's why I want to be good at it so badly._

_Mrs. Calearohte, I know I already said it last time, but seriously, your reviews are awesome and this one was able to top all the others!_

* * *

**Snow fight with a shape-shifter**

Unfortunately, the vampire escaped. The next day my leg was as good as new and Julia was much better. She said she wanted to forget the incident as quickly as possible. To distract her we went to the Den and Leah found a wrapped package that she had prepared for a Chocolate Game for New Year's Eve, though it hadn't been used back then. June, Janelle, Collin, Leah, Julia and I participated in it whereas Basti found the game too childish and preferred to read _The Very Hungry Caterpillar_ to Jayden, which was the little boy's favorite book.

June and Janelle were both quickly getting into the game, shouting and screaming and getting the rest of us going, too. It was good that Basti had taken Jay downstairs to the backroom of the Den, because it had been to be expected that we would make more noise than the lunch guests that Emily and Claire took care of. When we were halfway through the game it started snowing.

Collin was the one to win the chocolate bar in the end but, expectedly, he shared with Janelle and she gave a small piece to June. Julia sat down by the window and watched the big snowflakes dance through the air. She smiled, but there was also a distant sadness in her eyes.

"On one of the few pictures I have of my Papi and me, he's holding me in his arms and we're standing at the window and watch the snowflakes fall. It was my very first snow and you can see how curious and excited I was about those white, fluffy-looking balls that disappeared when they touched the street. Papi smiled so widely. He was a proud, happy father."

She kept smiling, but her eyes glistened with upcoming tears. I hugged her from behind and put my chin on her shoulder.

"I thought you don't miss him," I said quietly.

"Most of the time, I don't. I mean, I don't even have a real memory of him, just pictures and dreams. But sometimes I wonder what would have been different in my life if he still lived. We would have never moved to Washington, which would have been a pity because then I would have never met you," she turned her head to smile at me, "Chris is nice and he tries to be a good father for me, but there are events in my life when I wish Papi would be there and see me. Like my first day of high school, my graduation, my wedding…"

"He sees you. He's still here somewhere and watches you. And I'm sure he's still as a proud of you as he was back then."

She placed her hands over mine on her stomach.

"Thank you."

We just stood there quietly for several minutes until an annoying niece of mine destroyed the peace.

"Uncle Seth! Help me with my math homework!" June demanded and tugged at my shirt.

"Later, June," I replied.

"No, now! Please, please, please!" she tugged stronger.

"Go," Julia chuckled, "I'll be fine."

I sighed and gave in.

"So you do actually know how to say please. Say it right from the start next time," I ruffled her hair and she screeched.

June's homework wasn't much and with my help she was done half an hour later. It just stopped snowing and Julia turned away from the window. Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Can we go for a walk in the fresh snow?"

"Sure," I shrugged.

"Oh, yeah, great idea!" June exclaimed and went to put on her winter boots.

"Uh, no, June, you're not coming along," I declined. She pouted cutely, but I shook my head.

"Give us some time alone," I explained why she wasn't allowed to come.

"I'll take you girls sledding. How does that sound, June?" Collin offered.

She squealed and high fived Janelle.

"Be back on time if you want dinner!" Leah warned. Julia was dressed in record time. The snow excited her like a little kid. It was contagious. She pulled me with her impatiently.

"Come on, slow coach!"

"What are you, six?" I chuckled.

"Adults always only complain about the snow. I'm going to hold on to the fascination it holds for children. That's so much more fun than all the whining!"

She squeaked as she slipped on some ice that had been hidden beneath the fresh snow and I caught her just in time. Laughing, she clutched my arms and pulled herself up.

"Come on, Seth, take a break from the seriousness! You look like I broke a leg or something!"

We reached the snow-covered beach. Julia let herself fall down on her back and moved her arms and legs up and down, making a snow angel. I rolled my eyes at her childish behavior. I couldn't forget about the escaped vampire and scanned the tree line carefully.

"Ugh, you're no fun!" Julia complained behind me. At the same time, something cold and wet hit my neck and made me flinch.

"Ha! Strike!"

I turned to my mischievously smiling imprint.

"Just you wait!" I growled playfully before quickly grabbing a handful of snow, pressing it lightly together and throwing it at her. She tried to dodge the ball, but it was too fast and hit her side. She laughed and ran away, grabbed some snow without stopping and then turned to throw the ball at me. I ducked and it missed me. Grinning I sent another ball at her. It hit her shoulder and some of the ice-cold snow found its way under her loosely tied scarf. She squeaked and shuddered.

"Now you're not that sassy anymore, aren't you?" I smirked.

"I don't surrender, if that's what you thought. This battle is not yet decided!"

She bent down to grab some more snow and I chased her over the beach for at least ten minutes while every now and then snow balls flew in between us. I didn't want to catch up to her so I slowed myself down. Only when she lost speed herself and panted heavily did I take the last long strides towards her and tackled her to the ground. She would have face-planted into the snow if I hadn't had my arm securely around her waist and stopped her fall an inch above the cold white ground. I turned her around and pinned her wrists down.

"I'm afraid I have to inform you that you're my captive, Miss. I strongly recommend that you surrender now."

"Please, Sir, I'm just an innocent weak human girl," she pleaded.

"Right, totally innocent," I mocked. She grinned at me. Her fawn brown eyes sparkled happily and I once more realized how beautiful they were. Her cheeks were red from the cold and the excitement. Some strands of her hair had escaped from under her beanie. Snowflakes glistened in between them. Following an impulse, I pecked her on the lips. Her eyes widened surprised and her heart skipped a beat. She opened her mouth to say something, but I beat her to it. I jumped up.

"What kind of a gentleman am I to take advantage of an innocent weak human girl like this!" I exclaimed dramatically. "My apologies!" I bowed, "You're free to leave."

She got to her feet and again I could see mischief in her eyes. She practically jumped me and she was lucky enough that I had to make a small step to keep from falling because I stepped onto an ice covered stone and slipped. Julia squeaked, probably because she hadn't expected me to fall. She landed safely on my stomach though. She grabbed my wrists like I had grabbed hers.

"I'm afraid I have to inform you that now you're my captive, Mr. Big Bad Wolf."

"You know I could always escape if I wanted to," I grinned.

"Then why are you still here?" she asked quietly.

"Maybe I don't want to escape," I adjusted my voice to her volume.

"Are you sure? I'm just asking because you deserve some serious punishment and it's not going to be pretty."

"What could a weak human girl possibly do to me?" I teased.

"You'll see. Feel free to escape when you get scared."

"Me? Scared? You wish!"

"Well then…"

She leaned down and for a moment I felt her warm breath on my cheek before her lips connected with mine once again. However, this time it wasn't just a peck. Julia kissed me cautiously, but when I kissed her back she got bolder. I licked her bottom lip and she willingly granted me entrance to her mouth. Our tongues danced passionately with each other. My stomach was full of butterflies and my chest was close to bursting of happiness.

Finally Julia pulled apart. She was panting again. We stared at each other and her eyes that seemed to have become an open book about her emotions for me assured me that she was just as happy as I was. I freed my hands from her grip and hugged her close. She struggled against my tight embrace to be able to look me in the eyes.

"I think I might love you," she whispered.

"Then I'm a very lucky man, because I'm definitely falling for you, too."

"In that case I'm the lucky one," she argued.

"Will you go on a date with me?"

"I've been waiting for you to ask that question since Christmas."

"Is that a yes?" I smiled. She rolled her eyes.

"Of course that's a yes!"

My smile widened.

"Good. I'll pick you up from school tomorrow."

"Okay."

My stomach grumbled and I jumped up in a swift movement, pulling Julia with me.

"We're going to be late for dinner!"

Julia laughed.

"Oh my God! That's going to be the end of the world!" she teased.

"Yes, it is!" I replied and pulled her with me towards the restaurant. When she didn't run fast enough for my liking I picked her up bridle style and raced us to the Den. I put her down in front of it and ran ahead to the back room where I arrived just in time to safe enough chicken nuggets and fries for us both before the rest of the pack could steal them all. Julia went straight to the kitchen.

"Leah, can I borrow some pants from you? Mine are soaked from the snow."

"Of course. What have you done out there? You look like you've been in a snow storm!" my sister chuckled.

"I got into a snow fight with a shape-shifter. _He_ is perfectly dry of course."

Leah and Julia went upstairs.

"Did you have fun?" Embry grinned at me.

"Yes. Jealous?" I asked back.

"No. I'm sure Autumn and I had more fun."

"I doubt that."

Julia came back down with one of Leah's sweatpants on, which were way too long for her so she had to roll them up. She hugged her body and shivered slightly. I pushed my chair back a bit and pulled her onto my lap before she could sit down next to me. She snuggled back against me and stretched her arm to reach the fries. I dug in too, careful not to spill any ketchup on Julia. After a short while, she raised her head and whispered, "You know, they're all staring at us."

I glanced around the room and realized she was right.

"Do you think we should tell them?" I whispered back.

"Tell them what?" she asked confused.

"Well… what happened outside?"

"But I already did that. They all heard me saying that we had a snow fight."

"Yes, but you know that wasn't all."

"It wasn't? I can't remember anything else."

"Okay. That hurts," I pouted.

"You'll get over it," she teased.

"Alright, you two," Basti intervened, "As funny as your little banter is I unfortunately don't have much patience. So would you just stop keeping us in suspense and tell us if what we think that happened is what really happened or not?"

"We kissed," Julia confessed simply. Cheers and wolf whistles answered her. Embry smiled happily at me and leaned over.

"I'm proud of you," he said so lowly not even our pack brothers could hear. Contrary to the rest of the pack, Embry knew how big of a step it was for me to let a girl, even my imprint, so close to me. It didn't feel as big of a step anymore though. We had had so much fun in the snow and I had been happier than I had been in a very long time. The kiss came somewhat naturally. I didn't think about it, neither about the first nor about the second. I just acted and it felt right. It felt amazing.

* * *

_Sparks finally fly between them! And that sort of makes this the end of the story. There will be one more chapter, more like an epilogue actually. It's not written yet and I won't have much time tomorrow to write, so the next update is going to be on Sunday!_

_Please review!_

_I grew up with The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Raupe Nimmersatt in German) and it was one of my favorites, too. I was pleased to see that it's originally from the USA and very popular all over the world, so that I was able to use it in here._


	32. Epilogue

_Thank you for your reviews, WolvePackForever, Mrs. Calearohte, JTCA and KittyPimms! Yay, 100 reviews! KittyPimms, I'm sorry, no extra points, BUT a plate of virtual cookies just for you! Go get yourself some real ones ;)  
_

_Thank you for favoriting, azlan!_

_Mrs. Calearohte, I really have no idea what I typed into my German-English dictionary to get tobogganing as the seemingly most appropriate result. I found the word weird, too, because I had expected that I actually knew the English word and only needed the dictionary to remind me. When I typed in the word again yesterday, I got much better results that made more sense to me. Long story short, I ment to go sledding. Apparently a toboggan is a special kind of sled and tobogganing is not really wrong, but I changed it into the more common sledding now._

___JTCA, yes, Chinese is kind of on the rise, but I think it's still far from the status the English language has. I would have neither the time nor the means to learn Chinese at the moment anyway. Before I start learning a completely new language I'd rather refresh the other two languages I had in school, French and Spanish._

_____Why did none of you point out the two mistakes I had in the chapter with the hypnotizing vampire? At one point I wrote Cory instead of Cora and a bit later Seth phased back although he had already phased back a few sentences earlier :D Anyway, that's changed now._

_____**Warning**: This chapter contains a lemon! If you don't like to read those, think of the last chapter as the end and don't read this one._

* * *

**Epilogue**

It was a very warm day in May. The Cullens had gone on a hunting trip and wouldn't be back before tomorrow. Julia and I planned a candlelight dinner for tonight that we would prepare together. I had already started peeling the potatoes when she arrived.

"Hey," she said softly and gave me a short kiss.

"Hey," I smiled, "Did they have veal?"

She placed the bag of groceries on the counter and took out a head of broccoli.

"Yes, they did. The butcher promised me high quality."

I watched her as she started to cut the broccoli. She wore a light blue cotton dress with spaghetti straps. It hugged her body nicely. She paused and turned around with raised eyebrows.

"Are you going to finish the peeling?"

I chuckled.

"Can't I admire my girlfriend?"

"You can, but I won't do all the cooking alone. So, in case you want to eat in the next two hours, you should turn your attention on the potatoes."

"Ugh, damn! You know it's cruel to threaten a shape-shifter with food deprivation, do you?"

She smirked. I sighed exaggerated and grabbed a potato.

"Mami and I made Izzy's layer cake today. She's going to love it. Do you know if Sky's coming to her party?"

Sky and Izzy had been in an on-again, off-again relationship. Currently they were together again.

"Yes, he's coming."

Julia sighed.

"I wish he wouldn't be waiting for his imprint and strike up a lasting relationship. Izzy loves him. If he weren't a shape-shifter they'd be the cutest couple."

"Uh, no, they wouldn't. If he weren't a shape-shifter, he'd look his age, which is 28, and if he dated Izzy nonetheless everyone would give them crap about age difference."

"Thanks for reminding me that I'm dating an old man myself. I should be ashamed," she joked.

"But it's a very hot old man," I pointed out.

"That he is," she agreed and came to me. She cupped my cheek and pressed her lips lightly against mine. Our lips molded together like two halves of a whole. I kissed her back slowly, gently. Her tongue slipped into my mouth and caressed mine. I dropped the knife and potato in my hands and pulled her closer so that her body was pressed up against me. She put her hands around my neck and pulled slightly at my short hair. I moaned and felt a spark in my loins, about to ignite a fire. Reluctantly, I pulled away. Julia let out a small protesting whine.

"As much as I am enjoying this, if we don't stop now we won't get any cooking done tonight and I'm still not very fond of food deprivation. We'll keep in mind where we left off just now and continue later, alright?"

"Okay," she sighed deeply and returned to the broccoli which was ready for the stove. I finished the potatoes quickly and set them up to boil. Julia filled another pot with peas and heated oil in a pan for the veal while I got out the chocolate mousse mix and milk to prepare the dessert.

I filled the brown mousse into a glass bowl and was about to put it into the fridge when Julia stepped in between and dipped a finger into the sweet mass. She then proceeded to lick her finger seductively, looking at me from under her eyelashes. I placed the bowl in the fridge and turned back to her to kiss her. I tasted the chocolate on her lips and sucked at it. She moaned into my mouth and I pulled away.

"Do you _want_ to starve me?" I questioned.

She grinned.

"No. It just seems that I can't resist you today. Must be these sexy dark jeans and polo."

She returned to the stove and I followed her. While she puréed the broccoli I mashed the potatoes and we both watched over the frying filets.

Julia finished the broccoli soup and I went to lit the candles on the table.

"Oh, you even bought a rose!" Julia exclaimed as she entered the dining room with the soup plates. She put the plates down and sniffed the red rose on the table. She smiled brightly at me and we sat down.

"Enjoy your meal," I said.

"You, too."

With my wolf appetite I finished my soup much quicker than Julia. I watched her, never getting tired of exploring and admiring the details of her features. She had a tiny mole on the side of her nose. Her left eye was slightly smaller than her right eye. Her light brown irises were framed by a thin dark brown ring.

She glanced at me and muttered, "You're making me self-conscious."

"There's no need to be self-conscious. You're beautiful."

She blushed. I got up and pecked her on the cheek while I grabbed our empty plates. I set up two new plates with the veal filets, mashed potatoes and peas and brought them to the living room. We dug in again and conversed lightly about this and that until, in the end, I was staring at her again. When she had finished her meal, too, she stared back. A small smile played on her lips and her eyes challenged me.

"You should know that I've never lost a staring contest," I informed her.

"That's because you never competed against _me_," she smirked.

I put my hand openly on the table, a plan forming in my head. As expected Julia placed her own small hand in mine. I stroked the back of her hand with my thumb. That didn't distract her enough to look away, but I hadn't expected her to anyway. After a while I turned her hand around, seemingly absent-mindedly. But then I tickled her palm. I knew it was one of her most ticklish spots and her body responded just like I wanted it to. She giggled, closing her eyes in the process, and pulled her hand back. When she opened her eyes again, they fixated my hand suspiciously.

"You lost," I grinned. Her eyes snapped back to mine and she huffed.

"You cheated."

"Dessert?"

"I'll get it," she said and got up. Instead of bringing two portions in two small bowls, she brought the whole glass bowl and two spoons.

"Do you mind sharing?" she asked.

"No, not at all."

We enjoyed the sweet deliciousness together, every now and then feeding each other. Thanks to the dishwasher the kitchen was quickly tidied up afterwards. We settled on the sofa and turned the TV on. Julia snuggled into my side. I zapped through the channels and found a romantic comedy.

"Do you want to see that?" I asked.

"Why not," she shrugged. After a while her hand slid under my shirt and she absent-mindedly traced my abs. Her touch was feathery, which made it all the more distracting. After just about a minute or so I couldn't take it any longer. I growled lowly and pushed her down on the sofa. She yelped, completely caught off guard. I attacked her mouth hungrily and she quickly responded. Her hands, that were still under my shirt but on my back now, pulled me lower down on her. I kissed my way down her jaw line and to her earlobe. I licked it and nibbled at it while my right hand found her left breast. I squeezed it and Julia moaned. I trailed kisses down her neck and to her cleavage. I removed the strap from her left shoulder and tucked lightly at the hem of her dress. Looking up to see her face I made sure that she's okay with what I'm about to do.

Although we had made out heavily before and I had often been shirtless, she had always stayed decently dressed. She nodded lightly and I pulled the dress and the bra down to reveal her breasts. They had the perfect size to cup them. I kneaded the right one and licked around her left nipple before taking it into my mouth and sucking at it.

"Seth!" she gasped. I could tell that the sensation was new to her, that Andy had never done that. Her breathing became heavier.

"Seth, you're driving me crazy!" she exclaimed. She tucked at the hem of my shirt and I had to release her hard nipple so that she could pull it over my head. She tossed it away and placed her hands on my chest, effectively stopping me from continuing my work. She looked down and smirked at the sight of the bulge in my pants.

"Maybe we should take this upstairs," she suggested hoarsely. I trailed a hand slowly up her outer thigh.

"Do you really want that? Are you ready?" I asked.

"I am. Are you?" Worry seeped into her eyes and I quickly nodded.

"I am," I stated and picked her up. She wrapped her legs around my waist and we kissed on the way up to my room. I cautiously laid her down on the bed. A pink heart-shaped sticky note on my nightstand caught my eye. _Have fun! _was written in Alice's neat handwriting on it and behind the note was a box of condoms. I chuckled.

"What?" Julia asked and tucked at my hand to join her on the bed.

"I think Alice had a vision of you being pregnant this summer," I replied and held up the condoms. Julia looked shocked for a moment, but then she relaxed. Because I still stood next to the bed she got up on her knees and opened my belt and my pants. Now loose, they fell down on their own accord. I unzipped Julia's dress and helped her out of it. I unclasped her bra and she sank back into the pillows. I went back to sucking and kneading her breasts, only this time my other hand travelled down her body and under her panties.

"Somone's pretty wet," I said huskily. I stroked her vulva and slipped a finger into her. She gasped and arched her back towards me. I added another finger and started thrusting inside of her. She moaned. I pressed my thumb on her swollen clit and rubbed it.

"Seth!" Julia exclaimed and her fingers dug into the skin on my shoulders. I ripped her panties off because they hindered me and thrust harder into her. She tugged frantically at my boxers and it was my time to gasp when her small hand curled around my dick. Her inexperience was evident when she shyly started to run her hand up and down. I placed my free hand around hers and showed her the best rhythm and the amount of pressure I liked. She learned fast and I had to stop her pretty quickly because I didn't want to come before we even had proper sex. I reached for the box of condoms and fumbled shortly with it before I had one. Julia snatched it from me and put it over my throbbing dick. I positioned myself in front of her core and slid in. She moaned loudly.

"Damn, you're tight!" I muttered. I started thrusting inside of her, slowly increasing the speed. She moved her hips in perfect sync to my own movements. I felt myself close to coming again and went down with one hand again to tease her clit once more. She panted and then she cried out and her walls tightened around my dick. That caused me to come, too. I shuddered and let myself fall down beside her, exhausted.

"Wow," Julia breathed. I rolled onto my side and put my arm on her waist. She snuggled closer.

"I never knew sex could be this good," she whispered, "Was it... was it okay for you, too? I know I'm inexperienced, but...," I cut her off.

"It was amazing, Julia. _You_ were amazing."

And not once did Cora cross my mind.

* * *

___The END :)_  


___You know I usually reply to reviews at the beginning of the next chapter. Since there is no next chapter anymore, I'll reply to signed reviews with PMs. I unfortunately won't be able to reply to anonymous reviews, but they're still very welcome and appreciated. So **please review** and tell me what you think of the story as a whole! Don't forget to favorite if you haven't yet and you loved the story!  
_

___I want to thank everyone who has read this far because even those readers who don't review show me with their visits and views that they keep reading and that's got to say something :) I also want to thank my lovely reviewers ____once more____, especially those who reviewed continuously. You gave me the motivation to go on writing. Waking up to new reviews - because most reviews come at night and I always check in the morning - is a great start into the day :)_

___Now, about the **sequel**. It's titled _Human Filet___. I guess I'm going to disappoint a few of you now, but I'll have to live with that. _Human Filet___ is not an imprint story like _Roasted Squirrels___ and _Sunny Side Up___. There is a small romance in the second half, but the main genres are drama and friendship. Another probable disappointment: neither Embry nor Seth are going to be main characters. The story is told about half from Leah's and half from Chad's POV. Basti and Julia are having major parts, too. If you liked the atmosphere and drama in _Roasted Squirrels___ you'll probably like _Human Filet___, too. And this is what it's going to be about:  
_

___Vampires have made themselves scarce in La Push. The pack and the imprints enjoy the peace and have big plans for the future: Leah and Basti are planning their wedding, Embry, Autumn, Seth and Julia are going to start college after summer, Ava is pregnant, and more. It's common knowledge in La Push and Forks that some Quileute haven't aged properly and the people have somehow accepted that they won't get an explanation for that. When the media carries this fact to a broader public, the reservation gets flooded with TV reporters, journalists and scientists. Things get out of hand and **endanger not only the big secret and the future plans, but also their lives**._

___First chapter will be up on **Tuesday**! Watch out for _**Wolf's Den - Human Filet**___! I would love to welcome you back!_


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